Christmas Miracles
by Aki and Tenshi
Summary: Another Jess comes into town with a daughter fic, except this time only 2 people in S.H. knows who the mother is: Jess and the mother. Future fic by Aki
1. Prologue

Hey, here is a story based around Christmas time. It is mostly a future-fic, except for the prolong, which is boring really. This is also a little AU, basically what if Logan come home early in "Let us here the Bailiakaks (SP?) Ringing out." It is also Lit-ish, but it mainly focuses on Jess. I LOVE JESS!...

**Prolong**

It was a perfect day for a wedding. It was a cool winter day where the first snow had fallen. The sky was a rich baby blue with a few sprinklings of cotton clouds. She stood their, in a flowing sun-yellow dress with daises in her hair, looking across the church of the wedding. There he stood uncomfortably in his tux. She had to tell him, because she couldn't tell anyone else, and he had the right to know…and he was the only one that could help her.

The wedding ceremony went by in a blur. She supposed she should feel guilty for ignoring her mother's wedding, but she had bigger things on her mind. She watched serenely as her mother and step-father danced on the floor. She eyes moved over the crowd until she found him again.

She walked slowly around the outer rim of the party as not to catch attention, eyes locked on him the whole time. As she neared him, he must have felt her presence and looked up, their gaze meeting.

"Hello Jess," she said quietly.

"Rory," he responded, inclining his head.

She looked down, as though ashamed, before tasking his hand and putting it to her stomach. Through the dress he could fell that it was slightly rounded. This could only mean…

"It yours," she said solemnly, quietly.

"What?" he said, not understanding her words, or not wanting to.

"From that night," she answered.

He knew which night she meant. The night that he came back to see her, to show her that book, or more like the night after. The night they went out to diner, to talk, but things went too far. They had drank too much and said things they didn't mean, and things they did. He remembered waking up the next morning with a killer hangover and her not their. He recalled how he wanted to kill himself for his stupidity, for doing what he knew he did, with her.

She recalled that night also. She recalled the way he made her feel and waking up in the morning next to him and the memories of what they did flooding into her mind. She recalled how she left without waking him and crying as she drove home. Then getting into a fight with her grandmother and moving out, going to her true home and breaking up with Logan because he did not deserve a girlfriend that cheated on him. She recalled mostly waking up one morning a month later and releasing she was late and knowing that it was his. She remembered easily, because she was still doing it, hiding her pregnancy from everyone, even her mother, her best friend, the one person in the world who was most likely to understand.

She had hid it well, changing slowly from tight clothes to loose clothes. It helped that her pregnancy was mostly in the cold season, late fall, winter, and early spring. It was no surprise then to wear baggy sweaters, hoodies, and large coats. Plus, she had moved out her mom's house and into an apartment near Yale, so it was easier to hide.

It had looked as though she had put on some weight and nobody thought that was strange. Stress of college and a job did that to people, especially with eating habits like Rory's. When she became too visible, she stopped going home, knowing Lorelai would figure it out. She claimed she was too busy with work or homework or the school newspaper. She claimed to be sick or tired or that the roads were really bad and it was too dangerous to drive. She continued to call and write e-mails, but always found a reason to be busy on the weekends.

A week before her due date she took off work and college, begging friends from different classes to let her borrow their notes when she got back. She told Lorelai it was a business trip. Not long after she found herself on the doorstep of Jess's apartment in Philadelphia. He knew she was coming.

That whole week, Jess held her as she cried and ran to stores at ungodly hours to satisfy her cravings. He was in the delivery room with her. And he was the one that took the baby girl home afterwards, but she, she was the one who left with only a note claiming her once presence.

It read, "_Jess, I'm sorry I'm leaving you with this. I'm so sorry for leaving, but I just cannot do this. I'm not sure why, but, please, can we keep this between us? Thank you. Rory."_

She cried the whole way back to her apartment, the whole drive from Philadelphia to Yale. It was unlike the cry she had when she drove away from that night with Jess that had lead to all of this. Those tears had been for herself, for pain, but these were for something completely different. These tears were for the two she left behind and the people she had lied to along the way.

'It's ironic,'she thought, 'Out of the two of us, who'da thunk I'd be the one to walk away.'

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This is my first Gilmore Girl's fic that is not a one-shot. Please Review.


	2. The Real Chapter 1

**AN- **I was worried that Rory was a little ooc, but 14 reviews quenched by fears. Thanks for all the encouragement, I didn't think the prologue was Here's the next chapter. It is very loooooong. Not all the chapters will be this long (I've written ahead) but all so far are longer than the prologue.

**Chapter 1**

**A little less than ten years later…**

Jess was driving down the road in his SUV, snowflakes hitting the windshield. She looked at the young girl, his daughter, asleep in the passenger seat. Her curly, shoulder length, dark hair, with a reddish tint, fell into her faintly freckled face.

Jess did not want to go were he was ultimately going. Firstly, he had to drag his daughter away from home for the holidays, and, secondly, he desperately did not want to return to Star's Hollow…for several reasons. If only his agent, his stupid agent, hadn't booked his book launch their. Why did he tell her where his book was inspired from?

She had booked it with Taylor, none-the-less. The whole town probably knew he was coming by now. None of them knew that he had a kid, except Liz, he had told her, and the other _her_, Rory. Jess had half a mind to turn around now, but his agent had already got them reservations at, in her words, 'this quant little homey inn,' also known as The Dragonfly Inn, or the inn that was co-owned by Lorelai Gilmore-Danes and Sookie St. James, yet Jess called it morbidly in his mind, the inn that was likely to end his life, by either murder or suicide.

He drove by a sign that pronounced, "Welcome to STAR'S HOLLOW." Jess gave his daughter a light shove and said, "Wake up, Amber, we're here."

"Hey Luke," said Lorelai coming into the diner, and kissing over the counter.

"Hey, whatcha doing here?' Luke asked

"Do I need a reason to come and visit my husband?" she asked offended.

"You want coffee?' he asked dryly.

"Yeah, to go," Lorelai answered swiftly.

"Typical," Luke muttered under his breath turning away from her and filling a cup.

"And a doughnut," she added as he gave her the cup of coffee.

"You're gonna' die at fifty," Luke said giving one to her in a Luke's bag.

"And what a good fifty years they will have been. How much?"

"I'm not making you pay. You're my wife."

"No, I insist. This is a business and just can not go around giving out free food."

"Okay, you can pay, three fifty."

"Come here," said Lorelai becoming her hand towards herself.

"What?"

She just waved her had more urgently. Luke leaned across the counter and Lorelai stood and whispered in his ear, "Can I borrow three dollars and fifty cents."

"That's it. Get out of my diner," said Luke, pointing at the door.

Lorelai just gave him puppy dog eyes, "But I'm your wife."

Luke growled in frustration and turned away to tend to some other customers and then went in the back. He was surprised to Lorelai still sitting their, sipping her coffee.

"You got that 'to go' for a reason," he said grumpily, indicating to the coffee, "Is their something else you want.

"Jess is supposed to come into town today," Lorelai said seriously.

"Did you tell Rory?"

"Yeah, yesterday when I talked to her on the phone, she'll have a few days to prepare, though, she out on a business trip for a few days."

"Good."

"It's surprising isn't it. Him coming back to town, a successful author."

"It is, but I always knew he had the potential…What was even more surprising was Taylor's reaction."

"I know, he seemed ready to adopt Jess and I thought he hated Jess!" exclaimed Lorelai

"He did, but Jess is bringing in tourists."

"And Taylor loves you, just as long as you bring tourists to Star Hollow-,"

"And agree with and do everything he says," Luke interrupted.

"Anyway, the mystery is that Jess's _agent_ called and reserved a bedroom," Lorelai paused for effect, "with two beds."

Luke was silent for a moment, "So…?"

"It means that Jess is bringing someone with him, but that person is not getting their own room, but is not sharing his bed," explained Lorelai with exaggerated hand motions.

"And this means…what?" asked Luke.

"I don't know what it means, it is a mystery. A mystery that today will be solved. Holy… is that the time? I need to get back to the Dragonfly." Lorelai stood up and took a step towards the door and then hesitated.

"What is it?" Luke asked.

"Can I –aaa- get another coffee?"

Amber fogged up the widow as her big blue eyes stared out it with her mouth a gape. "People actually live in places like this?" she asked indignantly. "It's so small and low and …"

"Picturesque?" Jess filled in for her.

"No, more like out of an episode of 'Leave it to Beaver.'"

Jess laughed, "You are a city slicker through and through, just like your dad. Born and raised in a big city and can't understand how anyone can live anywhere else."

There was a silence, "You actually lived here?"

"For a year or two," he answered.

"Did you like it here?"

Jess contemplated that question for a minute, "Not really."

There was another silence as Amber stared amazed at the town.

"I'm hungry," Amber commented.

"We just ate," said Jess in a matter-of-fact manner.

"We didn't just eat," Amber exclaimed indignantly.

"We ate like an hour ago."

"That is _not_ 'just ate.'"

"Yes, it is 'just ate.'"

"Not."

"Is," said Jess firmly. Amber fell silent.

"Not," she added quietly, "Where are going anyway?"

"To my mother's," Jess answered shortly.

"Can we eat their?" Amber asked hopefully.

"Not if you want to live."

"Are you joking?"

"No, I'm dead serious…no pun intended." Amber rolled her eyes at that. Finally they parked in front of a small off white house in the middle of a tree-filled neighbor.

"Does she know about me?" asked Amber quietly, looking up at her father.

"Yeah, she does. And she cannot wait to meet you," answered Jess and it was the truth. Liz had been one of the few people he had told. He had kept in contact with over the years, he owed her that much, but he had not visited for years, almost ten, to exact. He had not come back to Star's Hollow because of Amber and because he was running away.

Jess and Amber walked up to the door of the house, but before either could knock it was flung open and Liz's arms were thrown around Jess's neck.

"Oh, Jess, I've been waiting all day for you to show up! I thought you forgot, or got in an accident with the visual all obscured from the snow, but here you are, fine and safe." She leaned back from Jess and kissed him on the check. He stood stiffly, stunned

at her actions.

"Hi, Liz-um-Mom," he said, but she had already moved on to his daughter.

"You must be Amber," she said leaning over slightly so she and the younger girl were close to level. "This is the first time I've gotten to meet you. I'm Liz, your Grandmom, you can call me that if you like." She embraced the girl tenderly.

"I can see you in her, Jess," said Liz looking you for the hug. Amber looked up from it too and gave her father a look that clearly said, 'Is she sane?'

"Come on," Liz beckoned them into her house and into the living room. The father and daughter followed quietly. The sat down on a pinstriped coach as Liz sat across from them.

Liz sighed happily and then broke the silence, "You know, this is great, us all here together, "Me, my son, my granddaughter…it's perfect," she sighed again.

A silence filled the room again. Amber could here the ticking of a clock. She glanced sideways at her father, was he going to say _anything_?

"Well…um- it's good to see you," said Jess after a while. "I have something for you," he added, digging into his pocket. He leaned forward to hand Liz what seemed to be two pieces of paper, "Their VIP passes for the book launch on Friday, to make sure you can get in. One for you and one for…TJ."

"I get to be a VIP, wow. That is so thoughtful of you Jess. Your book launch has perfect timing too. You guys are gonna' be here for Christmas. The two of you just have to come over Christmas morning. Promise." said Liz, but did not give them time to, "Then for diner, there is this big bash going down Luke and Lorelai's. Sookie's cookin', the whole family is gettin' together. It's gonna' be great. I'm sure Luke is planning on inviting you as soon as you go to see him, but, of course, you've got an extra person he doesn't know about," ended Liz, eyes flashing over to Amber. Amber noticed it.

"So you haven't…?" asked Jess cryptically.

"No," answered Liz, "I have kept your secret. Which is harder said then done, this is Star's Hollow…" Jess held back a laugh. Liz continued, "You're the one, though who's going to have to let the cat, or the daughter in this case, out of the bag."

"Yeah," retorted Jess, "But I'm only going to have to tell one person before the whole place knows…"

After a lengthy talk at his mother's, Jess pulled up in front of the diner. He sighed, this wasn't going to be easy.

"Come on," he said to Amber, opening his car door, "You're gonna' meet my uncle."

Amber glanced out the window, "Why are parked outside a diner?"

"It's my uncle's diner. It's were he works, and there is apartment on the second floor were he lived before he got married. It's were I stayed when I lived here."

"You didn't stay with your mom."

"She didn't live here then."

"Oh," said Amber slowly, "Your mom, Liz, uh…, Grandmom, said that your uncle, um…Luke, that she never told him about …me, that she kept it a secret for you. Why?"

Jess bit the inside of his bottom lip before saying, "It's hard to explain, you would have to know Luke."

"But you told Grandmom," said Amber, every second getting more used to saying that word.

"Liz would understand, she would be more accepting, I mean, you met her. But, see, I have not been back here in a _really_ long time and saying I have a daughter is not something you do over the phone, especially with Luke. He would yell at me and say I screwed up again, when it wasn't a screw up, it was the best thing that ever happen in my life. "

"Okay, don't get sappy on me."

"And telling him this way," said Jess, "He will probably still yell at me and told me I screwed up, but hey, if we both live threw that encounter, we'll eat, on me."

"Hey, 'eat' was the only word you had to say to get me out of this car."

She jumped out of the car, onto the sidewalk and Amber and her father walked into the building together. Thankfully it was in a lull of mid-afternoon. Too late for the regular lunchers, most now busy at work or school, but too early for diner or after school snacks. Only Kirk sat at a table with half finished food.

Luke was behind the counter, attempting to fix another toaster. He was never much good at that. He looked up as he heard the bell at the door jingle. It was Jess, he had been expecting him for a while now. Jess and him were on fairly good terms, as of the last time he left. He had not heard from him in some while, but when he did it was usually via Liz.

Jess walked up to the counter, Amber a half-step behind. He sat down on one of the stools, and his daughter followed the suit.

"Hey," he said in simple greeting.

"Hey," Luke replied, eyes darting over Amber for just a second, before returning to Jess.

Jess averted his eyes, "Amber," he stated, "This is my uncle, Luke. Luke this is Amber…, my daughter."

Luke was silent for a moment only you ask, "Your…what?"

"My daughter," Jess repeated steadily, though his heart was beating crazily in his chest. He willed Luke not to yell, especially in front of Amber. He could deal with yelling, but he didn't want to Luke to call Amber a mistake, when, as he said in the car, that wouldn't be true.

Luke reaction, however, was not as expected.

Amber watched with her wide blue eyes the uneasiness between the two. She was good at that, looking at others faces and being able to tell what they were thinking or feeling, or even if they were lying. She had gotten this gift threw years of practice and years of being a silent little kid, watching her father dealings in business. This man was obviously angry, detectable by the several shades of red his face was turning, but he was attempting to control it. This was a shock to him and he was thinking it over, in a prolonged uneasy silence, contemplating what to do next.

Luke's eyes darted between the two a few times. He let out a deep breath he had seemed to be holding. "Your daughter…wow!" Luke said less then enthusiastically, but clearly trying.

Jess raised an eyebrow at the reaction and commented, "Either you've gone soft old age, Uncle Luke, or Lorelai has done a real number on you."

Luke glared at him, but otherwise ignored him, "So that make me a great uncle…jeez, I'm already a great of somethin'…that makes me feel old…"

At that remark it took Jess great restraint to not say, 'That's because you are.' It would have been funny, but because Luke was had not already exploded at him, it was better not to tempt fate.

"So…," was all Jess said instead, trying to break the uncomfortable silence.

"So…," repeated Luke, "It's-um, good to see you again...," he continued awkwardly, "And to meet my great niece…for the first time," he added pointedly. "Would you like anything to eat," he asked her nicely.

Amber gave him a look as to say thank you. "I thought you'd never ask!" she said, diving into a menu.

As she was distracted reading the menu Luke turned to Jess and said quietly, "Can I talk to you in the back?"

Jess whispered back, "I'd rather stay out here…where there's witnesses…"

Luke scowled and said forcefully, "Back. Now." He turned on his heel and walked determinedly into the store room, not even glancing back to see if Jess was following.

He did. Jess got up and walked around the counter, scolding himself mentally to not have noticed it was too good to last.

Luke was waiting for him. He took a deep breath and spoke slowly, as though thinking out every word before he said it, "I'm not going to yell at you for having a child that I assume that is illegitimate and unplanned, because let's just face it, is would be hypocritical of me."

"Oh, big word," said Jess sarcastically (which is another big word).

"Jess," growled Luke.

"Sorry. Continue," said Jess in mock seriousness, but Luke continued anyway, as though there were no interruption.

"I mean, I'm married to Lorelai for one," Jess nodded in understanding, "And we can't forget the whole April incident," Luke grimaced.

"Well, that's great to know," said Jess, turning to leave.

Luke grabbed the back of his shirt to stop him, "I'm not done yet."

"Here's the catch," Jess muttered to himself, facing Luke, who was stern-looking, but not explosion angry, which was a good sign.

"But I am going to bust your chops for not telling me. Why wouldn't you tell anyone about this?"

"I told Liz," Jess muttered, not looking Luke in the eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Luke madly, but turned to an offended tone, "Why didn't she tell me?"

"Because I asked her not to," said Jess.

"Why?" asked Luke uttered confused.

"Because you'd yell at me," Jess answered simply.

"I'm yelling at you now though, aren't I?"

"I just wanted to put it off as long as possible."

**Same time, different perspective…**

Amber tapped her fingers on the counter at which she sat. She knew what she wanted to order. She could hear the muffled talking coming from the back room, but could not distinguish any words. Gosh, she was hungry, couldn't they hurry up back their.

She sighed and hopped off her stool and walked around the counter to the back knocked on the door frame, stuck her head inside and said, "Hey, nine and a half year old starving out here."

Both Jess and Luke turned to look at her. Luke couldn't help but smile as he looked at Amber. She looked like Jess. She had his hair and face and demeanor, but something else, something familiar clung to her features as well, but he couldn't place it.

"Yeah, sorry," said Luke and lead the girl out of the room, leaving Jess in the middle of a conversation.

Jess rolled his eyes and followed him into the main part of the diner, were Amber was returned to her stool and was giving Luke her order.

"I'll have cocoa, with the fries and the fried chicken sandwich, but can you take off the lettuce and tomatoes and pickles…"

"So basically a piece of fired chicken in between two pieces of bread?" asked Luke.

"Basically," confirmed Amber.

Jess sat done next to her daughter and added, "Do you any vegetables back their, add them on." Amber wrinkled her nose in disgust. Jess just shook his head and said, "Don't give me that face. You're eating your vegetables."

Luke observed the why Jess smiled at his daughter as she huffed. At first Luke had thought Jess had messed up again, but maybe this was good for him.

"Anything for you?" Luke asked Jess.

"No thanks," he answered, leaning his head on one hand, "I just ate."

"We didn't just eat," mumbled Amber


	3. Chapter 2

**AN- **Here is the next chap. Hopefully I will get another up today, but no promises. Thanks for the reviews. Please keep them coming.

**Chapter 2**

Kirk casually mentioned the incident with Jess and his daughter at the diner he had witnessed to Lulu as they passed Doose's Market, where they were overheard by Taylor. Taylor rushed after him, confirming it was true and called Miss Patty first thing. She ambushed Kirk and Lulu as they passed the dance studio and got details, which she relayed to Babette.

Once the trio of gossipers was informed, the news spread over Star's Hollow like wildfire. It was the juiciest piece of news that there had been in quite a while and even those who did not know who Jess was, were talking about it.

As soon and Jess and Amber left the diner to check into the inn, Luke picked up the phone and dialed Lorelai's cell number.

"Hey Luke," she answered.

"Lorelai, I just wanted to give you a heads up, but Jess is headed to the inn right now."

"Okay."

"…And I know the answer to your 'two beds in one room' mystery."

"Really! What is it? Did him and his girlfriend have a fight? Or is she really religious?"

"Are these theories?" asked Luke incredibly

"Yes," answered Lorelai in a dignified way.

"Did you send all day on them?"

"Yes…, but that's not the point."

"Well, it's not a girlfriend."

"Oh my god, he has a boyfriend!"

Luke thought he might develop a headache at his point, "No, Jess does not a have a boyfriend…He has a daughter."

There was a silence on the other end of the line, "Wow, I would have never of guessed that…How old?"

"Nine, almost ten."

"And the mom?"

"I didn't ask, but it doesn't look like she is involved."

"Wow, this is not funny at all. This is serious."

"Yeah, I know, but hey, I invited them over for Christmas diner, is that okay?"

" 'Course. I'll tell Sookie, but she probably has more food than we could ever eat, plus them, already."

"I wouldn't expect anything less. Gotta go, customers are coming in."

"Okay, see you tonight."

"Bye."

Lorelai hung up her phone and walked into the kitchen, "Hey Sookie, I have discover the answer to the Jess and the two beds mystery, with a little help of Luke's. Apparently Jess has a daughter."

Sookie looked up fro the deserts she was decorating, "You hadn't heard that already. Fifteen minutes ago Babette called me, ten minutes ago Jackson delivered fruit and told me, and five minutes ago, oh, and Michel came in for tea and told me."

"Michel knew before me! When did I drop to the bottom of gossip chain?" Sookie shrugged and returned to her work.

Lorelai scoffed and filled herself a mug of coffee and returned to the front desk as Jess and his daughter entered, dragging bags along.

Jess let out a sigh and approached the front desk as Lorelai said with a fake smile, "Welcome to the Dragonfly Inn."

"Hi, Lorelai."

"Hello, Jess. If you could sign in, please. Here's your key, your in room six."

Jess signed in and looked up and said, "If the gossip runs as fast as I remember, you probably know who this is already," nodding at Amber.

No longer with her fake smile, "Well, yeah."

"So, I guess it's time for formal introductions. Lorelai," he said stepping back from the counter, "This is Amber," he said putting a hand on her shoulder, "My daughter as I'm sure you've heard. Amber, Lorelai, Luke's wife…what the hell, you're my aunt. When did that happen. I know I was at the wedding and everything but…"

Lorelai put a hand up to stop him, "Trust me, it scares me more than you."

Amber giggled, and Lorelai's eyes went to her. She was a petite girl, but had a look of maturity about her. Her dark hair and tanner skin like her father's contrasted sharply with her bright blue eyes. She had definitely had not gotten them from Jess, must have been from the mother.

"It's nice to meet you, Amber," said Lorelai to the young girl with a genuine smile.

"You too," she replied sweetly.

"Room six right?' asked Jess."

"Oh, yeah," said Lorelai, handing him the key, "Need help with the bags?"

"No, we can manage," he handed the key to Amber and told her to go on ahead. She went up the stairs.

"Um, Lorelai, Luke invited us to Christmas diner at your house, is that okay with you?"

"Yeah, it's fine." Jess began to walk towards the steps, but turned and asked, hoping to sound nonchalant, "Is Rory gonna be there"

"…Yeah she is," answered Lorelai softly.

**Line**

Amber was an acute kid. When her father had _sent her on ahead_ she knew it why. It was a typical things adults did. When they had to discuss something of a sensitive or secret nature, they always sent the children out of ear-shot.

She went partway up the staircase, out of sight, ad leaned against the wall, listening. Jess asked about the dinner. Jeez, what a thing to send the kid out for, not interesting at all.

Amber was poised to run up the stairs as her father approached, but he stopped and asking something else, "Is Rory gonna be there?" There was the juicy stuff. Amber didn't even hear the answer. All she could thin about was who this Rory was.

Amber sprinted quietly up the stairs and into the hallway, and waited for her dad.

"Hey," she said as he reached the top of the steps.

"Hey," Jess echoed as the walked towards room six.

"Sooo…, who's Rory?"

Jess gave her a look, "Eavesdropping is a nasty habit."

"Yeah…so who's Rory?"

"None of your bee's wax."

"Bee's wax? What are you, nine?"

"Maybe. Where're the keys?"

"Right here," said Amber, holding them up. Jess took them from her and unlocked the door to their room, "Who's Rory."

Jess ignored her and threw his bags on one of the beds.

"You know, if you don't tell me, I can just ask Aunt Lorelai later."

"When did you start calling her _Aunt_ Lorelai?" asked Jess curiously, Amber just shrugged.

"So, who's Rory?"

Jess sighed, "Lorelai's daughter," he answered cryptically.

"So, your cousin?" conformed Amber curiously, pulling off her jacket.

"Step-cousin. Lorelai had her before she was with Luke."

Amber plopped down in the other bed, "How old is she?"

"My age."

"That old, huh?" said Amber. Jess glared at her, but she just smiled innocently.

Jess began to put their bags away properly as Amber lay on her bed, staring straight up at the ceiling. A silence filled the room…

Only to be broken again, "Why did you ask about her?"

"Huh?" said Jess, looking up from his stuff.

"Rory, why did you ask about her?"

Jess rolled his eyes and went back to his work but commented, "You know, curiosity killed the cat."

"Good thing I'm not a cat then…why did you ask about Rory?"

Jess stood up straight and looked at her, "You can be really annoying sometimes?"

"Why thank you, I learn from the best," Amber answered, sitting up and looking at him pointedly.

"Really, I didn't know you were taking lessons."

Amber scoffed and asked again, "Why did you ask about Rory and why did you have to send me out of the room to do it?"

Jess sighed and sat down next to his daughter on the bed, "Rory was like my best friend when I lived here, but we got in a fight and when I left, we weren't on good terms, so things might be a little tense between us…" Jess felt horribly guilty for lying to his daughter flat out like this. It had some truth in it, he rationalized. He just couldn't tell her that Rory was his ex. He supposed it would come out eventually and it would be worse. Amber was a smart kid, Rory was his ex-girlfriend. He had not had a lot of girlfriends. Amber would suspect, she would ask questions and Jess would cave.

Rory had left. Rory had kept it a secret. She had the privilege and the curse to tell Amber and everybody else who she was and why she left. She had left, she had to come back. The truth was Jess didn't know who he'd handle Amber finding out who her mother was and it being someone she knew. It was just too complicated…

That is why he didn't want to come back here in the first place…

**Somewhere else, in a big city…**

Rory Gilmore just sat down in a small café when her cell phone began to ring. She sigh and began to dig threw her purse. She checked the number, it was her mother.

This was long distance.

Rory answered, "Hey Mom."

"Hey, Ror? What's up?" her mother asked on the other end of the line cheerfully.

"I just got out of his big meeting, my head is pounding. I need coffee, but I can't find any as good as Luke's."

"Bummer."

"Yeah. The only good substitute is this little hole-in-the-wall café I found, but I haven't gotten to order yet. "

"Why?"

"Because you called."

"Oh, sorry. You're going to get back in time for Christmas, right?"

"God bidding, yes. Everything is going on schedule, miraculously, so far. So forbidding a giant, random, unpredicted snowstorm that delays my plane, I'll be their."

"Good...um, Jess is coming to Christmas dinner at our house."

"Okay," said Rory, trying to sound offhand, but stunned inside. She should have guessed it was going to happen. But if Jess was coming…

"And, big shocker, the town gossip of the year award material, he is bringing his daughter with him."

"Wow?" said Rory, trying to act surprised.

"Yeah, I know, she's pretty cute though, but I only meet her for a minute."

"Cool…," said Rory, her heart pounding with guilt, her own mother meeting Rory's daughter before she did. "So, how's Jess?" she asked, trying to sound casual, but a sense of weakness, easily detectable by Lorelai, slipping into her tone. "

Thankfully Lorelai didn't point it out, but rather answered, "He seemed pretty good. He sort of had a freak out at the inn when he finally processed I was his aunt. It was kinda funny."

"I bet it was."

There was a sound of something crashing and several voices yelling, including one with a French accent over the line.

"Is every thing okay!" asked Rory urgently.

"I gotta go. It seems there was an accident in the kitchen. But checking one more time first, you're okay with Jess coming over for Christmas?" said Lorelai speedily.  
"Yeah, it's fine," Rory answered, worried.

" 'Kay, bye." Rory hung up her cell phone. This was thin ice she was treading on here. Jess and his daughter, her daughter, their daughter, was going to be in Star's Hollow, at her own house. Everything will probably come out. Everyone will rethink their opinions of Jess and herself after they find out who stayed and who left.

Rory put her head in her hands, she could just imagine the look of disappointment and hurt on her mother's face when she learned the news. She had lied to her mother, to her whole town, and abandoned her own child and abandoned Jess. Rory hurt with how horrible she had been. She had always hated the way her own father was never around, but here she was even worse then him.

She could barely remember why she had left. It was so confusing. She it was something as vain as not wanting to be the topic of rumors and gossips and not face the embarrassment and disappointment of others. It was only worse now...


	4. Chapter 3

**AN- **Okay, there is lots of Amber and Jess fluff in this chapter. I find it cute…

**Chapter 3**

Amber watched in amusement as her father argued on his cell phone, with Sarah, his agent. He paced around the bedroom, almost yelling, with frantic hand motions. Amber could only hear one side of the conversation and seen situations like this arise many times before, but it was still funny. Jess hung up his phone and growled.

"Anything wrong, Dad?" asked Amber trying not to laugh.

"Yes, Sarah decided she wanted to come to Star's Hollow. She wants to see it and be here to make sure the book launch goes exactly as planned and is going to stay at the inn, this inn."

Amber nodded "Doesn't sound _that _bad," she said teasingly, knowing how much her father was annoyed by his agent.

"And apparently," added Jess, "we're having brunch with her tomorrow, at Luke's. Doesn't that sound fun."

"For me," said Amber coolly. Jess sighed and collapsed on his bed.

"My life is hell," he muttered

"If you hate Sarah so much, why don't you fire her and get a different agent."

"Well, for one, you just can't fire an agent, you have contract with them. Two, you just can't fire Sarah. And, three, she's actually good at what she does…"

"Then you should just get over yourself and start getting along with her and stop complaining."

Jess glared at his daughter, "Are you lecturing me? I thought I was the parent."

"Some would beg to differ."

Jess tossed the remote towards her, "Why don't you watch TV like a normal kid."

Amber rolled her eyes and began flipping threw the channels, giving her father a few moments of silence, before she decided there was nothing good on and turned it off.

"Is it diner time yet?"

Jess gave her a look, "I swear kid, you are always hungry." She just shrugged. He looked at his watch, "In about a half an hour the inn will be serving. How many square meals do you eat a day."

"On a poor day, about five, but if I'm really hungry, I can go up to eight."

Jess threw a pillow across the room at her, it hit her square in the face. She fell backward on the bed before picking it up and throwing it back at him. That was a start of a long and dangerous pillow fight that almost broke two lamps, a hanging picture, the television, and a mirror, all which were miraculously rescued at the last second.

Amber dived behind one of the beds as a pillow came flying by. "Missed me!" she shouted. She grabbed another pillow off the floor and threw it back, which Jess swiftly dodged and hit the wall by the door…where Lorelai stood.

**A few minutes earlier…**

Lorelai checked the clock on the wall as the inn's dining room was filling up. They were going to be late for diner, not that there was an official starting time, but…She sighed as she scanned the room again, definitely no Jess or Amber in the crowd. She couldn't believe that she was actually worrying if Jess missed diner or not, but he did have that daughter now, she was probably just worrying for her niece.

She ran a hand through her hair as she sighed again. What if they didn't know the diner time? It was the hostess-y thing to do. She went up the stairs to inform them.

Lorelai knocked on their door. No one answered. She he rustling beyond it, so put her ear to the door. She heard bangs, laughs, yells, and some not so pleasant crashes that made Lorelai expect broken things.

She knocked again and again there was no answer. She exhale noisily and opened the door and entered, just a pillow, smacking the wall, nearly missed her.

Jess and Amber stopped and stared. "Ooops… ," whispered Amber.

"Hello," said Lorelai slowly, observing the room. Pillows were strewn sporadically about it, chairs were knocked on their sides, blankets were pulled half off the beds, pictures hung lopsidedly on the walls, and various items throughout the room were askew.

"Nothing's broken, I swear," said Jess quickly, judging Lorelai's look.

"Um, I just came to say that diner is going on right now," said Lorelai, stunned at what she saw, pointing over her shoulder out into the hall as she spoke.

"Finally!" exclaimed Amber as she swiftly hoped over a bed and ran half way out the door. "Coming Dad?" she asked turning around."

"I'll be their in a sec," Jess answered her. She shrugged and continued her sprint downstairs.

"We really didn't break anything," commented Jess to Lorelai, who was still standing in silence, "I mean there were some close calls, but…"  
"I'm sorry, I was just contemplating what natural disaster passed through this room to cause this," said Lorelai, waving her hand at the room, humorously.

"Um…, we got into a pillow fight," said Jess, looking away from her, almost embarrassed. A slow smile lit up the woman's face.

"What?" asked Jess, catching her expression.

"I never thought I would see the day that Jess Mariano, Stars Hollow's own hoodlum was caught in the middle of a pillow fight."

"You didn't _exactly _catch me in the middle of a pillow fight. It was sort of the end, and more of a pillow throw…," Lorelai gave Jess a look as to say, 'Are you this desperate to save your reputation that you're attempting to ramble your way out of a pillow fight?'

"Exactly," ended Jess lamely.

"This is so going on the Star's Hollow web page."

Jess brushed past her on his way to the hallway, "I'm going to dinner. Close the door, will you?"

Lorelai made a face at him, even though it was completely juvenile and he wasn't their, before she left the room and closed the door, almost hoping that he had left the key inside.

**Later that night…**

The room was dark. Amber crept slowly out of her bed and to next her father's. She peered over the edge cautiously. Jess was sleeping peacefully in a white t-shirt and flannel pajama pants.

She clung tightly to a brown teddy bear, which she had since she was a baby that she didn't tell people about because she thought it was juvenile. Dressed in comfy sweats, her reached out and tapped her father on the shoulder.

"Dad," she whispered as he groaned awake.

"…What time is it?" he asked, half asleep.

Amber shrugged.

"What's the matter?" asked Jess around a yawn.

"I had a nightmare, and I know I'm nine and everything, but can I sleep with you?"

"We're already in the same room," stated Jess tiredly.

"Please," Amber said with wide eyes.

Jess observed his daughter's expression. She was so young and innocent. He held back a smile. She was growing up so fast, how could deny her what may be the last chance of her having a bad dream and asking to sleep with him.

"Sure, kid, climb on up," he said, holding up the blanket for her to get in.

She instantly hopped into his bed and slide under the covers next to him. "Thanks," she said looking up at his face.

"No problem, kiddo," he answered, putting a comforting arm around her. She closed her eyes, snuggled into his chest and fell asleep.

Jess wasn't so lucky. He was awake now, and couldn't go to sleep, not that he minded. He watched his daughter as she breathed slowly, peacefully. She looked like an angel. Maybe that was just his father-complex talking, but she was indeed his angel.

She was his reason to get up in the morning. She taught him to love, without knowing it, unconditionally. Even though at first she might have been considered a mistake or a burden, now, he could not imagine a life without her.

He gently stroked her face as he tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. He did not know were he would be without her, whether he would he dead on a street corner or in jail or still job and home hopping very few months. Amber had unknowingly and perfectly changed him, made him responsible.

He never knew what love meant, until he held her in his arms…

**The next morning…**

Lorelai walked quietly up the stairs of the Dragonfly Inn, a worn, over-stuffed leather wallet in one hand. It was Jess's. The cleaning crew had found it last night, apparently he had dropped it in the dining room.

She knocked lightly on their bedroom door. No answer. She tried again a little louder. Still no answer. She sighed and pulled out her master set of keys and unlocked the door and sneaked into the room.

What she found surprised her slightly or at least it was not something she expected to see. There, in one bed, were Jess and Amber, asleep, in each others arms, with a teddy bear between them. It was a scene that would have been cute no matter who the father and daughter pair was, but made so much more dramatic by who it was.

It was Jess, monosyllable prank-pulling, school-skipping Jess, who had broken Lorelai's own baby's heart several times, and his daughter, cuddled up with each other in bed.

Lorelai set the wallet down on one of the tables and snuck quickly and silently out again, closing the door lightly behind her. Though Lorelai considered it a crazy thought, maybe Jess was different, maybe he had changed…just maybe.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 **

A woman in an obviously expensive burgundy-red shirt suit with matching boots and hair color entered Luke's diner around 10:30 in the morning. She observed that it was fairly empty as she scanned the room and sat down at a nice table in the center of the room.

She opened a large black leather portfolio and began flipping through papers, before pulling a large pad of paper with several things already written on it out. She tapped a pen impatiently on the pad in waiting, checking her imitation diamond watch several times.

"Can I get you anything?" asked Luke, coming over with a pen and notepad to get on order. The curly haired woman glanced him up and down. He unshaven man was dressed in faded jeans, a t-shirt under a plaid shirt and a backwards baseball cap, topped off with an apron. She was filled with a mix of interested curiosity and readiness to call the fashion make-over people at his appearance.

"I waiting to meet someone for brunch, but can I have a coffee to tide me over."

"Caf or decaf?' he asked gruffly.

"Caffeinated, please," she said with a charming smile.

As Luke was about to turn to fill her order, the door of the diner was opened, indicated by the bells on the door.

"Sorry I'm late," said Jess, followed by Amber, as he sat down at the table with the woman, "Someone wouldn't get up this morning."

"Yeah, him," said Amber smartly, also sitting down.

"Morning, Jess," said Luke sarcastically because he was being ignored.

"Morning," said Jess, giving him half a glance.

"Oh, you know him," asked the woman in burgundy, with an incline of the head.

"Yeah, he's my uncle."

"I'm standing right here, you know," said Luke perturbed and unheeded.

"Well," said the woman, ignoring Luke completely, "Introduce us. Where are your manners?"

"He doesn't have any. Haven't you learned that by now?' said Luke, this time heeded.

"I know," said the woman to Luke, "But a girl always thinks she can change a man."

Jess growled inwardly and swiftly said, "Sarah, Luke. Luke, Sarah."

"You're girlfriend?" asked Luke.

Sarah let out a snorted laugh. Luke looked at her. "You said girlfriend. It was funny."

Jess looked at Luke, clearly agitated by how things were going. "Sarah' my agent," explained Jess.

"And a damn good one, at that," added Sarah.

"Okay, I'll go get your coffee now."

As Luke walked away, Sarah watched him, or a certain part of him.

Jess glared at her, "Stop looking. He is too old for you and married."

Sarah looked Jess in the eye, "Why, Mariano, does your thought automatically skip to the dirtiest thing possible?"

He glared back at her, "Because yours does." She ignored him. "Are you ready to order?" asked Luke, bringing Sarah her coffee.

Neither Sarah nor Jess had looked at a menu yet but, "I am!" exclaimed Amber.

"Yes?"

"The cheese and sausage omelet with orange juice, please.

"The same," said Sarah, without even trying to look at a menu first. All eyes turned to Jess, "Um…," he said, trying to remember what was on the menu from when he had worked here, "Pancakes?" he asked hopefully.

"It'll be ready a few minutes," said Luke and left.

"Okay, Mariano, the book launch is being held in a little local bookstore, can't thin of the name, owned by someone named Andrew. Taylor, nice man, do you know him, set it up for us their. The bookstore is a bit small, but the best place for it. It adds to the ambiance," said Sarah, not breaking to let Jess speak, "Anyway, the doors are opening at 10:30 A.M. sharp, but you need to be there at nine, but come around the back way. Also, your VIP's can get in early too. Got it?"

Jess nodded, but did not get a chance to say anything before Sarah continued.

"Oh yeah, I got the room right next to yours and Amber's at the inn. Isn't this going to be fun?"

Jess groaned, but Amber exclaimed, "Yes."

"We can stay up late…" said Sarah.

"Painting each others nails…" added Amber.

"French braiding hair…"

"Painting Dad's nails…"

"Playing truth or dare…."

"Tapping secret messages through the wall in Morse Code…"

"Telling dirty stories..."

"Okay, that's enough!" yelled Jess irritated.

Amber and Sarah were silent for a moment, staring at Jess. Sarah tapped Amber on the arms and leaned over and whispered in her ear, loud enough, with intention, for Jess to hear.

"This guy's really wound up tight, isn't he?"

"You have no idea," Amber answered.

**About the same time elsewhere…**

Lorelai was reading some paperwork at the Dragonfly as her cell phine rang. She riffled through her purse and pulled it out.

"Hello?"

"Hey Mom, guess were I'm standing at this exact moment."

"In Siberia," guessed Lorelai, not missing a beat.

"What?"

"Sorry, continue."

"In my room!" exclaimed Rory.

"At the house?"

"Yeah, I got back early!"

"Oh, that's great. Why didn't you drop by the inn?"

"Um…I-," stuttered Rory uncomfortably.

"Oh…," said Lorelai in acknowledgement, "He's not here."

Their was a silence then, "I'm all grungy from the flight anyway. I need to get shower and unpack."

"Okay, but meet me at Luke's in an hour of lunch, okay?"

" 'Kay, bye." Rory hung up her phone.

"Yeah, bye." muttered Lorelai to her cell, even though Rory was already gone. Was she really still that hung up on him?

Rory took a long hot shower. She was going to have to disguise all these uncomfortable feelings she had towards Jess, and his daughter, being here. Luckily most would relate it to their dating history, but that would only go so far.

Rory dried off, got dressed and put on warm coat, deciding to walk to Luke's on the comfortable winter day…

**At Luke's diner…**

Sarah had finished eating and annoying Jess and had gone. Jess went up to the counter to pay.

"This will cover it," said Jess handing Luke a bill form his wallet and Amber waited impatiently at the table.

Luke rang it up on the cash register and wrote it down on a receipt. "Good job," he said not looking up as he wrote.

"What?" asked Jess.

"With Amber, she seems like a good kid."

"She is," Jess confirmed. There was a moment of silence between them.

"Your raised her yourself?" pondered Luke.

"Yeah."

"And her mother is…?"

"Gone."

"Gone as in dead or gone as in-"

"Gone as in gone." Jess turned to leave, but Luke said,

"Also, good job, for…for making something of your life."

Jess looked back at his uncle, his uncle who could finally be proud of him. He didn't know why he cared so much; it wasn't something he used to care about.

"Thanks," Jess said back. He led his daughter out on the diner and then stopped.

"What?' asked Amber as Jess patted his pockets.

"I left my wallet," answered Jess. Amber huffed. Jess handed her his set of keys, "Here, go get in the car. It is right down the street. I'll be fast."

Amber ran off towards their SUV as Jess went back into the diner and retrieved his wallet from a waiting Luke, who Jess had forgotten to give passes for his book launch to.

Jess was checking his wallet and stuffing it in his pocket outside the diner as he walked when he glanced up to find Rory walking his way.

They both stopped suddenly, standing a few feet apart, averting their eyes quickly. Rory looked up at him, observing his appearance. He looked as good as ever, she was glad for that.

"Hey," she said quietly, weakly, her voice breaking a little as she did so.

After a moment he echoed, "Hey," but it was empty, hollow, cold.

An unnatural silence filled the gap between them. He still stared at the side walk and she still stared at him. She opened her mouth to say something, whether an apology, a question, a compliment, or mindless small talk she wasn't sure, but before any sound could escape her lips, Jess brushed by her.

"I gotta go, my daughter is waiting."

To anyone else it would have sounded casual, but it stung Rory like a blade. She almost flinched. _'My daughter,'_ he had said, _'my daughter.'_ Rory Gilmore felt like dieing right then, but rather walked into Luke's, trying to hold back impending tears.


	6. Chapter 5

**Aki-** This chapter is really just a filler. In my opinion it is not that good. Next chapter will be better.

**Chapter 5**

Rory concealed her grief and pain as she and her mother chatted friendly over lunch. Inside, though, it was killing her. Jess…her daughter, the daughter she abandoned. She could not understand how she could have done that.

She talked like nothing was wrong even though she was torn up inside as her mother caught her up on the town news and gossip, but that inevitably lead to…

"And then there is Jess," said Lorelai unabashedly, "At first I thought he was the same old punk, but then he has this daughter," Rory tensed, Lorelai did not notice, "She's real cute, so then I walk in on her and Jess in the middle of a pillow fight."

"What?" asked Rory, a little surprised.

"I know."

"Did you just use the words Jess and pillow fight in the same sentence without a not in their somewhere?"

"Yes," said Lorelai matter-a-factly.

"Are you sure?" asked Rory in a humorously skeptical way.

"I almost got hit."

"Wow."

"But that is nothing compared to what I walked in on the next morning," said Lorelai in a build up.

"Tell me," commanded Rory, genuinely interested, but hiding the guilt at the same time.

"I walked in to find Jess and his daughter sleeping in the same bed all snuggled up…with a teddy bear between them."

"Was the teddy bear Jess' or Amber's?" asked Rory.

"I don-…Wait, how did you know her name?"

"Whose?"

"Amber, Jess' daughter. I don't think I mentioned it to you yet," Lorelai's tone was not accusatory, but rather, curious, yet Rory felt like she was being interrogated.

"Um-," said Rory trying to come up with an effective lie, "I must overheard it somewhere. Everyone is talking about it. I think I heard it from Miss Patty…"

"Yeah," said Lorelai, readily accepting the answer, "I could have mentioned it to, I just don't recall."

After an awkward silence, "So was the teddy Jess' or Amber's?" asked Rory again with a grin.

Her mother smiled back, "I don't know, but I'm definitely going to find out."

**Later, at the Dragonfly…**

The inn was bustling with activity as the Christmas decorations were going up. Lorelai loved this time of year, with the trees, tinsel and lights, garland, turkey, and mistletoe. It was romantic. It was festive. It was beautiful.

Lorelai sighed dreamily at the check-in desk, her chin rest causally in her hand as she stared dreamily about the room.

"Do you always work like that?" asked a voice snapping Lorelai out of her stupor.

"Wha-?"

"Down here," said Amber, directing Lorelai's attention to the shorter girl.

"Oh, sorry about that, I was just caught up in the moment," said Lorelai. Amber just raised an eyebrow, but asked nothing about what moment she was referring to.

"Can I ask a question?"

"Shoot."

"Can I borrow some of the garland, if there's extra?" she asked hopefully.

"Um..," said Lorelai, pondering the question, "Why?"

"To decorate the room," answered Amber as though it were the simplest thing in the world.

"Are you going to be here the rest of the day?"

"Think so."

"Okay, when we're decorating down here I send the excess up to your room, 'Kay?"

"O-kay," answered Amber happily, starting to go back upstairs.

"Wait," said Lorelai, Amber stopped, "Why didn't Jess send you to ask?"

" 'Cause I'm the cute one!" Amber said matter-a-factly, then skipped upstairs.

Lorelai smiled to herself. A few minutes later, one of the decorators started to wrap garland up the railing.

"Hey Joe," said Lorelai to the man. He looked up at her, "Wrap the garland threw every other post on the railing, not each one like I said before. I need some extra for something…" She really liked that little girl.

**A little later…**

Lorelai knocked on the door of room number six with a large cardboard box filled with various Christmas decorations balanced precariously in her arms.

Jess opened the door, "…You're actually knocking this time?" he asked.

Lorelai opened her mouth for a retort but never got a chance because Amber suddenly pushed past Jess, took the box from Lorelai's arms before running back into the room taking a second to shout,

"Thanks."

Jess raised an eyebrow in question, but Lorelai only returned a shrug as an answer.

They both followed Amber into the room, where she was already busy at work decorating. Some decorations had already been put up previously. Lorelai spotted a pitiful, Charlie Brown like artificial Christmas tree decorated in the corner as well as a green and red paper chain hanging along the mantel along with stockings.

On closer inspection, Lorelai realized that there was something written on each individual paper link in black marker. She took a step or two closer to it and started reading some of them: business success, good grades, a place to live, meeting new family…

"It's a tradition," Jess said, startling her, from behind Lorelai.

"Hmm?"

"When Amber was in kindergarten, they had to make a paper chain for Christmas writing everything they were thankful for of the past year. She came home and made me do it too, and now we do every Christmas."

"Oh," said Lorelai. That really wasn't a Jess-like thing, especially to admit something like that freely.

Amber brushed by the two and leaped onto one the beds proclaiming loudly as she did so, "My masterpiece is complete!"

Lorelai realized in that the few minutes she was absorbed in the paper chain and talking to Jess that Amber had laced the window frames with garland and showered everything else she could with some extra tinsel that Lorelai had put in the box as well. **Later that night…**

As Lorelai walked across the road to get to Luke's for an after work coffee only to run into Miss Patty.

"Hey, Lorelai. I heard Rory is back in town early."

"Yeah she is. I was scared she wasn't going to get back in time for Christmas."

"Of course it does add a little more tension in the town doesn't it. You know with both Jess and Rory here. Add the kid and this town is bound to explode," Miss Patty checked her watch, "I got to go, hun, have a class in a few minutes. Tell Rory to stop by sometime, I haven't seen her since she got back. Tata."

"O-okay. I will," said Lorelai, slightly confused as Miss Patty walked off. 'That's funny,' she thought, 'Didn't Rory said she thought she had heard Amber's name from Miss Patty…" Lorelai tried to shrug it off, but it weighed heavily in the back of her mind.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Dad, must we do this every year. It's getting embarrassing," whined Amber to her father.

"You know," said Jess, "I remember a time when you begged and begged in order to do this."

"Yeah, when I was like five."

"Aren't you still five?"

"Dad."

"I know you're actually seven."

"Dad!" Jess just chuckled lightly at this daughter's indignation.

**"**Please, don't make me do this," begged Amber again.

"Oh, look. You're up," Jess said, avoiding looking at her pouting face, "Now go talk to Santa." That's right, Santa and Amber and Jess were in the middle of a mall in Hartford at the moment and as always in the middle of a mall at Christmas time, their was Santa, his elves, and an overpriced photograph.

Amber did what she was told, but she didn't do it happily. Huffing she walked up to Santa and sat down on his lap as instructed.

"What do you want for Christmas, little girl?" asked the old man jollily and predictably.

She sighed and said quietly to the man, "I'm just doing this for my dad. I don't believe in Santa anymore."

"Don't believe in Santa. I'm right here, aren't I?"

"Yes you are…and in every other mall across America."

He nodded his head as to say, 'Good Point."

"And," Amber continued, "Being nine and almost a half years old I understand that it is neither scientifically nor reasonably possible for one man to go to every house in one night as well as reindeers to fly, need I continue?"

"That's not something a pinch magic can't take care of. All you need is a little faith."

"Even if magic was real, I have more proof that Santa isn't. For as long as I can remember I've asked Santa for the same thing every year and I've never gotten it."

"What's that?" asked the Santa Claus curiously.

"A mom."

The man had no reply for that.

**The Book Launch…**

"You're late," said Sarah as Jess, with Amber, walked into the book store the next morning.

Jess checked his watch, "Only ten minutes."

"Ten minutes is still late."

"It would have been five of I hadn't spent time looking for the back way that doesn't exist." Jess looked around the room, seeing how the book shelves were moved slightly to make a large center aisle that had a table he supposed he was supposed to sit at.

"Here's the schedule," said Sarah, handing a paper to Jess, "Doors open at ten thirty. You're going to be hooked up to a mike so that you can be heard on speakers outside so the people in the line can hear. I'm going to give you an intro, then you are going to say a few words about your new book-,"

"I don't have a few words to say about my new book," interrupted Jess.

"Yes you do," said Sarah, handing Jess another sheet of paper, "I wrote your few words about your new book for you."

Jess eyed it over, "Was that last sentence even in correct English."

Sarah ignored him, "Then you are going to read an excerpt from your book. I suggest the beginning of the first chapter or prologue or whatever."

"You didn't even read my book, did you?"

Again Sarah ignored him, "Then you are going to thank the book shop and the good town of Star's Hollow for accommodating this book launch."

"Fat chance," muttered Jess under his breath.

Sarah glared at him, "An after you thank this book shop and the good town of Star's Hollow for accommodating your book launch, Mariano, you are going to answer a few questions from the crowd, which I will have picked out, that have good questions about this book, your last books and your personal life. 'Kay?"

"Okay," he mumbled.

"Good, and then for the rest of the day," said Sarah, pushing Jess into a chair behind the table, "You will sit here and sign books."

**About an hour later…**

"Oh, Jess," called out Liz, entering the book store, leaving some disgruntled fans waiting outside.

Jess peaked around one of the bookcases he was hidden behind, "Hey."

"Hey," she replied warmly, giving him a hug.

"Who's this?" asked Sarah, walking out from one of the back rooms with a clipboard.

Jess introduced the two, then Liz went to talk with Amber who was reading down the same row Jess had been. Sarah then started her traditional pep talk that Jess didn't need but was forced to listen to anyway.

"…So just smile for the cameras and kiss all the babies and we have this in the bag!" finished Sarah exuberantly, but pointlessly. Jess gave her an annoyed glare, "Oh, just do whatever you want. All your little fangirls, who swoon over the picture of you in the back of the book above the title, 'About the Author,' are going to love you no matter what you say or do…"

"That's more like it," said Jess smirking.

"Go sit down," commanded Sarah dryly, shoving him towards the desk he was to sit at, then added to another man dramatically, "Andrew, prepare to open the doors."

Jess ignored Sarah's defective behavior. "Hey, Am," he called to his daughter, "Where are you."

"Here," she replied from behind a bookshelf distractedly.

"Don't get trampled, okay?"

"Don't plan on it." Sarah was instructing one of the lakies by the door how to regulate how many people came in at a time as another clipped a microphone on an irritated Jess.

A few minutes later the door to the book store was opened and people swarmed in. Jess would never admit it, but no matter how many times he saw it happen, he still couldn't believe it.

Not long later Jess got a coffee and bathroom break as Sarah, who had been busy earlier, was organizing question from the crowd to ask Jess.

"Hey," said a voice suddenly, making Jess almost sill his coffee. He looked up from his hiding place, of course, behind another bookcase, because what better place is there to hid when you're in a book store.

It was Luke.

"Jeez!" exclaimed Jess, "You shouldn't sneak up on a guy like that."

"Sorry," said Luke not really sounding it. There was a moment of silence, "So, this is what a book launch looks like."

"Basically," said Jess in blank way.

Luke nodded, "Well-," he started, but was interrupted.

"Mariano, there you are!" yelled Sarah, coming around the corner to find him, "Break's over."

Jess rolled his eyes and gave Luke a look to say, 'I can't stand her.'

"Wait, is Liz here?" asked Luke as Jess began to walk away.

"You just missed her, she got called away for something. I think she'll be back later."

"I'm waiting!" yelled Sarah somewhere on the other side of the room. Jess sighed and walked off.

Luke gave a sigh of relief. Thankfully Liz had showed up. It would have been just like her to forget or for something else to get in the way, but luckily it didn't this time.

Luke rethought for a second. Maybe it wasn't luck, but rather Liz finally growing up, being responsible, showing consideration and care for her son. Though Luke had not seen the two together yet, Liz had been the only person Jess had told about Amber. Maybe their relationship was a lot better now.

Luke smiled at the thought.

The fan questions started. Luke leaned against a bookcase in the back, watching. He didn't understand most of the questions and answers mostly because they were about novels that he hadn't read or planned to read.

But not all questions were about books…

A girl with short black hair in French braided pigtails holding a microphone she was handed. "You are a single parent, correct?' she asked politely.

"Yes," answered Jess.

"My question is has that fact of being a single father affected or influence your life or writing in anyway."

Jess thought a moment, "My life? Yes, dramatically. My writing…? Well probably. I think it has given me a more rounded point of view. Before I had my daughter all I did was live for myself, it is very different to live and know someone else's life counts on yours."

Luke, standing in the distance, smiled. He understood the difference in Jess now.

A strawberry blonde girl stood up for the next question, "Um," she began and giggled, "Are you _involved_ with anyone right now?" A few other girls giggled in the audience as well.

Jess kept his frustration inside. It was just like Sarah to set up a question like this.

"No, I'm not," he said simply.

"Okay, that is the end of the questions," announced Sarah. If you all could please line up to get the books signed.

"Hey Luke," called Jess over his shoulder as the room was bustling with activity.

"Yeah?" he asked coming over to Jess.

"When you leave can you take Amber with you? I think she is getting bored and hungry."

"That's fine."


	8. Chapter 7

Aki- sorry it took a while to update, but school started again and I didn't have a chapter pre-written. With school I hope to get at least one chapter a week up. Also, all of you who have been begging in your reviews for more Rory and Jess interaction will be very pleased with the second part of this chap.

**Chapter 7**

Amber sat in the corner of Luke's Diner with a half finished milkshake (chocolate of course) in front of her. It took a long dispute with Luke to get him to serve ice cream in the middle of winter, but she won in the end. She stared over the top of the novel she had just bought from the bookstore, watching as customers came in and out. People were interesting to watch, these small town people particularly so.

That is when Lorelai walked in. She looked around, it was busy. She sighed, no where to sit. She decided to go complain to Luke about it.

"Luke, there's nowhere to sit, there's no free table!"

"What do you want to do with about it, they are all filled with paying customers."  
"I'm a customer."

"No you're my wife, you haven't paid for anything since we got engaged."

Lorelai growled in frustration.

"Look," said Luke, "Amber is sitting over their by herself. Maybe if you ask nicely she will unwisely allow you to sit with her."

"Good idea!" Lorelai exclaimed and went over to Amber's table. "Hey Amber," she said, making to girl look up from the pages of her book, "Can I it with you? If you hadn't noticed everywhere else is packed."

Amber looked up at her and simply nodded as an answer. Lorelai sighed in relief as she sat, taking off her coat.

"Nice day, huh?" asked Lorelai.

Amber glanced at the overcast sky throughout the window, "If you say so."

"Well," said Lorelai, leaning forward across the table as though letting Amber in on a secret, "It's going to snow soon. It may not look it now, but it will."

"Was it on the news," asked Amber, putting down her book, the snow that had fallen on her journey to this town was gone already.

"No, I can feel it. Maybe we will have a white Christmas…it's been years."

"Maybe…" said Amber, uninterested, picking up her book again.

"Why aren't you excited?" asked Lorelai.

"Snow's snow, it's no big deal."

"That's were your wrong," said Lorelai, shaking her head, "Snow is magical. Not only that. It's a miracle. Good things happen when it snows."

"Like car accidents?"

Lorelai huffed and sat back in her seat, "You are just like Luke."

"Whatever that means," mumbled Amber. Lorelai got some food and coffee from Luke and began to eat as the conversation lacked between the two.

"Hey, what's your birthday?" asked Lorelai suddenly.

Amber looked up from reading, "Why?"

"You're my great niece. That means more presents to give. Duh!"

Amber rolled her eyes and told the women. As Lorelai wrote in down she paused for a second. She was no math wiz, but she knew enough to realize that whoever Amber's mother was, she would have been pregnant during her and Luke's wedding.

"So…were you raised just by Jess?"

"Oh, a, yes. And this old lady we used to live next door who would baby sit me when I was little and Dad had to go to work."

"Your mom was never…?"

"No," answered Amber, wondering why Lorelai was so curious and why she, Amber, was so willing to answer, "I never meet her. In, fact, I don't know anything about her. Dad doesn't talk about her much, or at all really."

"Yeah, but single parenting isn't that bad. I raised my daughter by myself."

"Aren't you…?" Amber glanced at Luke.

"Me and Luke didn't get married until my daughter, Rory, was twenty-one."

"Okay."

"Rory's real father was rarely around. See, I had Rory when I was sixteen."

"Woe…."

"Yeah, I know," said Lorelai.

Amber was silent for a second before asking, "Did she, Rory I mean, ever get mad at her dad for not being there?"

"Probably. I think she did," Lorelai stopped and looked off as though in deep thought, "But she used to have this overwhelming hope that things would be different, that he come and stay. That we would get back together…But then she kind of gave up on it. Her father kept breaking his promises, you know. Coming and leaving and coming and leaving. She lost her trust in him…

"It's funny now that I think of it. When she was younger I couldn't wait for her to grow up, to understand, to become a realistic Rory who knew her father wasn't going to stay or change or be different, but then she did. Sometimes I think I miss the hopeful Rory a bit. It's refreshing to experience someone enjoying blind trust, to have faith like a child…I don't really know which one is better…Sorry, I'm rambling."

"No, it's okay," said Amber. She had listened intently to everything her great aunt had said. It meant something to her.

"So Jess really doesn't talk about your mother?"

"No," said Amber, "Except he has told me I have her eyes-,"

"I guessed that-,"

"And her smile…Actually just last night I asked him if he loved my mother. You know what he said?"

"What?" asked Lorelai, genuinely interested.

"With all my heart, now shut up and go to sleep."

Lorelai smiled sadly.

**After the book launch…**

Rory had been waiting across the street all day, sitting on the bench, leaning on the walls, or walking through the stores and stands. Finally, after it was dark and the crowds dispersed he came out.

She ran across the street. "Hey," she said to him. He looked at her, surprised, but not really. Rory did not give him time to respond his time, "Can we talk?"

For a moment, it seemed to Rory that Jess wasn't going to respond, or if he did, was going to so no.

"When?" he asked roughly.

Rory licked her lips nervously before asking hesitantly and hopefully, "Now?"

Jess nodded in return "Wait a sec," he said, pulling out his cell phone and dialing a number, "Hey Luke, it's Jess," he was silent for a moment, as though listening to someone of the other side and then, "Yeah the launch kinda of ran over and now Sarah is keeping me over more, you know how she is," Another short second of silence, "So can you watch Amber for a little while longer, okay…thanks." Jess hung up the phone and stuffed it into his pocket.

"Now we can talk," said Jess to Rory.

A few minutes later they were walking down the side of the street, not touching, not looking at each other, and obviously not talking. Rory had rehearsed all day long all the things she had wanted to say to Jess, but now her mind was blank.

"How's…how's Amber?" she asked, breaking the uneasy silence.

"She's okay," answered Jess, glancing up at Rory as he did so.

"That's good," said Rory weakly. Jess looked at her as she stared at he ground as the both unconsciously wondered in the forest part of Stars Hollow. Her dark hair hung around her shoulders, her eyes as blue as ever were serious and …sad.

"Um-thanks for sending me those pictures…"

"It's nothing…you asked for them." Jess stopped and looked around him. They had may their way unconsciously to the bridge (AN- A Gilmore Girls lit cliché yes, but you know you love it). The trees and the night hid them from all wandering eyes.

They were silent for a moment, standing awkward near each other. Jess decided to speak up, giving his thanks, "Thanks for helping us out a few years ago, you know…financially."

"Oh," answered Rory, jumping swiftly into the conversation to keep another awkward silence away, "It was the least I could do." Rory froze after that statement. It was a common small talk phrase, but when she said it then…It really was the least she could have done. How could she not help when he had gotten into debt and wrote her an email begging for help? It was indeed the least she could do, sending money to help her daughter and her daughter's father. In return, Rory begged for pictures of her daughter. She still had them hidden on her computer.

She wondered what her daughter looked like now. She had not seen her in person since she was just a few days old and the pictures were from a few years ago.

"It was the least I can do…" she repeated weakly, more to herself than Jess.

Jess watched Rory in turmoil with herself. He saw the guilt written all over her face. He didn't feel sorry for her. It was horrible, he knew, but he was still furious at her. In his mind, she deserved the anguish she was dealing with. It might have been sadistic, but he was gaining pleasure in her pain.

"Um..," started Rory, looking Jess in the eyes. Her voice was shaky as though she was on the edge of tears, "I'm sorry, Jess."

He looked away from her, in another direction, over the lake and into the trees. He sighed roughly in, Rory was not sure what it was, disgust, anger, disbelief?

"I-I really am," Rory repeated in a cracking, high voice.

Jess looked back at her, shaking his head and said, "That's not enough."

There was another silence between them, not so awkward this time, but chilling. Rory realized how close they were actually standing. Jess took a step closer, for what reason he wasn't sure. Rory raised her head to continue staring into his eyes. He noticed the unshed teardrops that clung to her lashes. She looked beautiful, he couldn't deny that. Their frosty breath mingled in the air they were so close. Jess leaned down little. Their faces were closer than ever. Rory wasn't quite sure what was happening over the few seconds that seemed to last hours, but their lips barely brushed before Jess pulled away.

Rory stood statue still, shocked as Jess walked away.

"I got to go," he said before handing her a book, "This is for you." Then he left with looking back once, fading into the surrounding darkness.

Rory would admit that she had made a lot of mistakes in her life, especially recently involving Jess. Having a one night stand was one, another, deserting their daughter. But this mistake was of not realizing something until it was too late. Not realizing that she, Rory Gilmore, still loved, maybe never even stopped, loving Jess Mariano.

Rory had been very inclined to crying the last few days, but right now, tears escaped her.


	9. Chapter 8

**Aki- **This is really a filler chapter, setting up the important character's thoughts and feelings toward different stuff. As I am planning right now, next chapter will have…well I can't tell you that, but it will have stuff you've been waiting for.

**Chapter 8**

Rory couldn't get to sleep that night. She had stood at the bridge after Jess had run off for she wasn't sure how long. It was shorter then it had seemed, she knew, judging by the time on the wall clock. She hadn't moved from the spot on the bridge until after a chilling breeze snapped her back to reality. She had immediately rushed home, avoided her mother, and barricaded herself in her room.

She claimed she was still jetlagged from her recent business venture, but there she laid in the dark of her room, barely nine thirty with sleep farther than ever. She wanted to do something, but she couldn't. Even just turning on the light would alert her mother that she was awake.

Rory rolled over in her bed and grabbed two things off her bedside table, a flashlight and a book. She made her covers like a tent over her head and turned on the flashlight onto the novel Jess had handed her earlier that day.

She read the cover; _In the Eyes of a Small Town_ by Jess Mariano. She flipped in open to discover a dedication on one of the first pages. It said, "To my one true love, my daughter, Amber." Rory smiled sadly as she read it. It was sweet, but it made her regret…

She turned again to the first page of the narrative. "Chapter 1," it was titled, she read, "The small town of Franksville, Connecticut sat in the New England backdrop of a mid-seventies summer. It had long lain untouched and unmarked by the changing world around it, seeming to stand still in the rapidly moving world. The citizens of Franksville were happy with the way things were, living in tradition year by year, until that one day it would be changed forever…"

Rory paused. Hell he wrote good. She wished things could change, she wished things would change, but she knew if it would it would be by her doing. Even if she did admit it, that Amber was her daughter, Rory couldn't see how it would work out…but, hell, Christmas was coming, good things happened on Christmas.

**In room six of the Dragonfly…**

Amber turned over in her bed once again, sleep ever evading her. There was so much on her mind that it repeatedly stole sleep right out from under her fingertips. Why were all the things Aunt Lorelai had said earlier still tormenting her?

She could have growled with frustration as she flipped over again under her covers. Amber closed her eyes but words haunted her ears still, "_She used to have this overwhelming hope,"_ whispered Lorelai's voice,_ "that things would be different…But then she kind of gave up on it._"

Amber had always famed herself as being mature and rather grown-up for her age. She had never thought it a bad thing, no one did really, unless she got a little sarcastic. In fact, she had been proud of herself, to be grown-up; that was a cool thing. Maybe growing up with just your dad helped that along. Maybe living in a run-down apartment in the downtown of Philly for the first several years of your life did something too.

But what Lorelai had said about being hopeful versus being realistic…what was better. Had not believing in Santa meant she had grownup too much? Okay, bad example. Had giving up on ever having a mom, particularly her Mom, meant that she had lost her faith in people? Had she lost all she had trusted? Had she lost hope? It was a scary thought, to lose hope. To lose that little bit of optimism or any confidence that she would find her mother or her mother would find her.

Amber hadn't noticed that tears were welling in her eyes until she felt the wetness of one running down her cheek. She wiped it away quickly with the back pf her hand. No time for tears. Grown-ups never cry…right? Amber realized she didn't want to be a grown-up anymore. She didn't care mature she had become; she still wanted to be able to cry and laugh and hope. She wasn't going to give up, not now, not now that she had more family then she had ever had before. Not now when things were going good. Not now when she had a father who loved her and it was Christmas.

Christmas was a time for happiness and giving and getting….and hope.

Amber didn't know that her father was lying awake too. He just couldn't get to sleep; Amber's constant moving in the next bed didn't help. He was haunted at what had almost happened today. What he did and what he almost did.

He had almost kissed her. Damn, he did kiss Rory, just barely. He had succumbed to these feelings that he didn't know he had had. Jess was still mad at Rory, angry even.

He had never fully worked out his feelings for Rory. Not since that night, many years ago, not since she left him with a daughter.

He knew he was mad at her, that was easy, but he was also upset, and surprised with her actions. He was regretful, for not trying to make her stay harder, for not calling her every night after she left to give her a guilt trip. Jess understood those things, it was the other things he felt he was confused about.

He had loved her once, he had told her so, and he thought he had loved her the night they created Amber. But now, after all these years, after all the hurt she had caused, he wasn't so sure. But what happened early today on the bridge…what was that? He had definitely felt something. Was it the spark of dieing love? Or the memory of a past one? Perhaps it was something new? Maybe, he hoped, it was nothing at all.

Jess turned over in his bed to get more comfortable. .He could not wait for these next few days to be over. He could not wait to get home and get out of this web of lies and deception, always hiding something and always losing. Hopefully no big discoveries or fights or explosions would happen. He almost laughed at the thought that things would go smoothly, it would be a miracle, but, hey, Christmas was a miraculous time…

**At the Gilmore house…**

If three people weren't enough to be stuck awake, one more wouldn't hurt anything. Lorelai lay in her bed, next to a peacefully sleeping Luke, staring straight up at the ceiling. Something was off; she could feel it, sense it. There were these uneasy tensions surrounding her and her family. Could no one else feel it?

She had gotten one of those vibes from Rory just today as she came home a few hours ago and immediately locked herself in her room, feigning tiredness, and obviously upset about something. Lorelai had one guess what that something was, Jess. Had her daughter run into him or the street or something?

Lorelai tried as she could to convince herself that that was all that was eating at her daughter, but she failed miserably. There was something else going on, something deeper, darker, and mysterious. It had something to do with Jess and Rory or Jess and Amber or Amber and Rory.

Lorelai shook her head to get these foolish thoughts out of her head. She needed some sleep. Luke had to get up early to receive a shipment for the diner and she would probably be woken at five or some other ungodly hour when he was getting ready.

The women closed her eyes to try and force herself to sleep. Amber face instantly popped into her mind's eye. There was just something about her that reminded her of something else. It was something about her eyes. Didn't Amber say earlier that Jess always told her she had her mother's eyes…Luke would have said she was crazy if she spoke all these thoughts aloud. She just hoped everything would work out, but she had said earlier today, good things happen when it snows, magical things, and it was going to snow on Christmas; she could feel it.

Though their stories were different and they were kept awake by differing reasons. Rory, Amber, Jess, and Lorelai were all waiting for the same thing under different names…Christmas miracles.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine **

The days between the book launch and Christmas went by swiftly and very uneventfully. There had been no more run in between Rory and Jess, by the combined efforts of both. Yes, there had been close calls, with Luke's being a staple for the both, but in the few days leading up to Christmas, they had fallen into a groove in which they successfully avoided each other.

It was too good to last, they both realized. The peace just couldn't stay…that is not how it works in Star's Hollow anyway…

"We're late," said Amber irritated as Jess climbed into their car.

"We're not late," he stated starting the car.

"We're late," said Amber again, indicating to the time on the car radio, "Aunt Lorelai said dinner was at seven thirty. I checked with her five times. She left the inn _ages _ago.

"Dinner is at her house, she had to leave to get ready, plus this is not New York. This is Star's Hollow, and there is no such thing as traffic is Star's Hollow. We'll be there is two minutes."

Amber huffed and crossed her arms as they drove of, "Fine, but I'm counting."

"Fair enough."

Not long later Jess parked his van in front of Lorelai and Luke's house.

"So, what's my time?" asked Jess, teasing his daughter. She scowled at him and muttered,

"You won this time, Mariano, you won this time…." They both climbed out of the car and walked up to the door. Before they could even knock it was thrown open by Luke.

"You're late," Luke reprimanded. Amber gave Jess and shrewd look that he successfully ignored. 'They're here,' Luke called leading them into the kitchen where the table and counters were stuffed with various types of food. Chicken, ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, biscuits, two types of salad, gravy, soup, and a whole lot more of unidentified things that though they might of looked disgusting, were going to be fabulous, because everything Sookie cooks is fabulous.

Lorelai began to pester Luke as he reentered the kitchen, standing too close behind him as he stirred something on the stove.

"Can I help?" she asked.

"No," answered Luke gruffly, turning to grab salt off the table.

"Can I help?" she asked again.

"No," said Luke, trying to ignore her as she trailed him as he carried to dishes to the opposite side of the room.

"Can I help?"

Luke turned and glared, "Get away from me women!"

Jess mockingly flinched in the doorway, "Wow, Luke, that was harsh."

Lorelai was unfazed and stole a spoon out of one of the dishes, licking the food off it. Luke turned and glared at him, "She's been doing this to me all day. I can't take it anymore. I just want to take this spoon," said Luke grabbing the spoon Lorelai was licking out of her hand and electing an indignant, 'Hey,' from her, "And stab it through my heart to end the pain. And every time I said she could help, she wouldn't want to or get all upset about it…" Luke trailed off, throwing the spoon in the sink.

"Jeez, Luke, take a chill pill…seriously," said Jess as his uncle ended his rant. Amber snickered.

"Oh, I'm sorry Luke," said Lorelai sincerely as he tried to cool down and went to restirring something on the stove, "But seriously, can I do anything to help?"

Luke growled in frustration, putting his head in his hands.

"Mom, you are too mean," said a new voice entering the kitchen. Rory had just walked out of her previously closed bedroom, having heard the commotion outside.

"He makes it too easy," complained Lorelai. A tense moment filled the room as Rory noticed Jess and Amber standing in the doorway. Lorelai noticed it, it was very…strange. Like those vibs she was getting a few nights ago when she could not get to sleep.

"Oh, Rory, you haven't met Amber yet," said Lorelai, breaking the silence. "Amber this is my daughter Rory. Rory, Amber."

"Nice to meet you," said Rory with a fake smile plastered on her face, even though she had met Amber before, years ago. Almost nine years ago, when she was a newborn.

"You too," replied Amber. Another awkward silence.

"So, Mom, where are we eating?" asked Rory.

"We're going to do a crazy buffet style thingy in here," answered Lorelai, indicating to the kitchen table and counters covered in various kinds of food, "And eat in the dining room. Nothing formal though. And then party like it's 1999."

"Luke, how much alcohol has Mom consumed by now?"

"None, surprisingly."

"But that is all going to change," muttered Lorelai wickedly. They all ignored her.

"Hey, where's Sookie and Jackson?" asked Rory, "Aren't they the type to be in the kitchen?"

"Maybe they're doing something naughty in the bathroom," suggested Lorelai.

"Oh God, I have to get that image out of my head!' exclaimed Jess, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

"They're not," said Luke, now used to Lorelai's antics, "Sookie started freaking out about the food spread. Jackson took her out on the back porch for air when she started hyperventilating."

"So their doing something naughty on the porch?" asked Rory.

"Both of the Lorelai's, out of my kitchen now!"

Lorelai was laughing as Rory pushed her through the doorway, "Such a high strung guy."

Jess and Amber stayed in the kitchen, sitting at the crowded table, however, but neither offering a helping hand, not that Luke would have accepted it now anyways.

"Hey Luke, aren't TJ and Liz supposed to be here?"

"Yeah, but they'll probably be late. I swear, Liz must have never learned to tell time." Just then the doorbell rang, "Speak of the devil," muttered Luke, "I'll get it." He excited the room, leaving the father and daughter pair alone.

"Well, that was a lot of fun packed into a ten minute period," commented Amber dryly.

"A typical Gilmore holiday."

Amber drummed her fingers in the table as they sat in silence, "So back their, that was the famous Rory?"

"Oh…yeah," answered Jess, trying to sound nonchalant.

"You didn't say hi to her, you haven't seen her for years."

"We had run into each other a few times already, since we got here."

"You didn't mention it."

"Nothing to mention."

Amber nodded, a little suspicious, "So you guys were friends?"

"Yes."

"Just friends?"

"We were friends," he restated emotionlessly.

"Friends…with benefits?"

Jess gave Amber a look, "You are too young to be saying stuff like that." Amber just shrugged.

At that moment Liz embraced them both from behind, shocking them. "Jess! Amber! I haven't seen you since-"

Jess finished for her, "This morning."

"But it seemed like so long."

"Okay everyone's here," exclaimed Lorelai, entering the kitchen, "Let's get some food and take this love fest to the dining room. Rory, get Sookie and Jackson off the porch, but cover your eyes. You don't want to see anything, if you know what mean."

"Lorelai, I heard that," yelled Luke from another room."

"High-strung guy," commented TJ as they all started to fill their plates with food.

Diner was a rather rambunctious affair. If Emily Gilmore had been their, she would have been very upset. It was not proper. It was not well planned. It was not well mannered, but no one there cared.

Several conversations were going on at once, colliding every now and then in a confusion. Amber had been quite at first, preferring to sitting back, listening, and observing than being involved in the slightly drunken conversations. For one, she was the youngest person there by years, and second, she barely knew these people. She had meet Lorelai, Luke, and Liz only about a week ago, Sookie a few times at the inn, and TJ, Rory, and Jackson today.

"So Amber, do you like reading?" asked Rory, suddenly, bringing Amber into the spotlight.

"Oh-yeah, a lot. Why'd you ask?"

"I just know Jess is a reading freak, I would expect it passed on to the next generation," answered Rory. It was a feasible answer, but in truth, Jess had mentioned in an e-mail to her once, long ago.

"Look who's talking, calling me a reading freak," commented Jess coldly.

"Well at least I don't enjoy boring stuff, like Hemmingway," said Rory playfully, then directed toward Amber, "Tell me you haven't read Hemmingway."

"Not lately."

Rory glared at Jess, "You forced her into it, didn't you."

"Ernest Hemmingway is a genius," defended Jess.

"Ernest Hemmingway was a boring, long-winded drunk!"

"Yeah, well, Ayn Rand is a psychopath."

Rory gasped and looked offended, "_She _was a genius."

"If by genius you mean-,"

Amber cut her father off, "Why don't you guys just agree to disagree."

"Never," they both said at the same time getting a chuckle out of Amber and Rory, and a smile out of Jess. Rory and Jess's eyes met over the table. They had jut shared in an argument they would have had on old times, happier times. Though her face and trained to happy, her eyes were pained, Jess assumed his were too. This peace they were sharing was superficial, fake, fragile, temporary… it was hurtful too.

They had both relapsed into memories of a time they were friends, and then more than friends. It sparked old feelings again, like when they had been on the bridge. It reminded him of every unadulterated, pure thing they used to have…and had lost.

Jess tore his eyes out of the connection he had had with Rory's. He didn't know she was still staring at him, eyes locked, thinking about the same things. Her façade fell for a second, as she bit the inside of her bottom lip to steady her emotions.

Rory finally turned her eyes from Jess to her unknowing daughter, "So, Amber, have you read your father's books…"

Luke sat back in his chair, already stuffed with food wondering where his wife put it away as she served got up to get fourth's. He was silent as he looked at the people, the family, surrounding the table, bubbling with conversation and laughter.

It had seemed that Rory and Amber, who were sitting opposite of each other, had gotten into a spirited conversation that Jess quipped into every now and then. One of them must have said something funny because the two girls laughed simultaneously. Their laughter was uncannily similar, so were their smiles. Luke's eyes flickered between the two of them a few times, from Amber to Rory, to Amber to Rory.

There was something there, but Luke wasn't sure what. He did notice that their eyes were exactly the same. Could it be that…? No, it was crazy thought.


	11. Chapter 10

**Aki-** Hey everyone, thanks for the reviews. I'm actuallt getting nervous that at this crucial part of the story that some of you will be dissapointed on when and why and how people find ot Ambr is Rory's daughter and how they will react, but I already have it planned out so hopefully it will work for you. And to reviewer**xh4z3L3y3sx**- Are you pychic? You're sugestion in your review was what I had planned out for this chapter. I was a little freaked when I read it.

**Chapter 10 **

After diner the party-ers declined to the living room for after super coffee and tea as well as a more than slightly tipsy game of charades followed by watching an over-played Christmas special. The night progressed and everyone quieted down, from sleepiness caused by the time, the food, or the alcohol.

Rory lightly brushed her fingertips against Jess' arm to get his attention where she sat in a chair stolen from the kitchen next to him. He looked up at her.

"Can we talk?" she whispered.

Jess sat there for a moment and Rory feared he did not hear her, but after a minute he nodded.

"Privately," she added, nodding her head towards the exit of the room. Jess stood and followed Rory out of the room and onto the porch through the back door in the kitchen. Everyone noticed the two of them leaving the room together, but no one said anything to point out though.

Rory rubbed her arms in the chilly outside air, "I-a- finished your book. Your new one."

"Yeah?" asked Jess.

Rory nodded, "It was good. It's probably one of my favorites of yours. Nothin' will beat _The Subsect _on my list though."

"Who was your favorite character?" asked Jess genuinely.

Rory bit her lip in thought, "Probably Jared, I liked Krissy and John a lot too."

"Jared's my favorite too," added Jess.

The conversation died. Rory noticed the peace they had between them as they spoke about his book and decided to bring it up again, "I can really see how Star's Hollow inspired Franksville. The small, barely existent town full of crazy traditions with all sorts of quirky characters."

Jess nodded.

Rory continued, "It was amazing how each chapter you changed the perspective from an outsiders looking in to an insider looking out…It was mean what you named Taylor though."

"What?"

"The Taylor-like character, Jack Ashton."

"What is wrong with the name Jack Ashton?" asked Jess teasingly.

"You know what is wrong. What it sounds like."

Jess chuckled lightly in his throat.

Rory sighed, changing the subject abruptly, "I'm sorry. I know I've said it before, but I'm saying it again, I'm sorry."

"Okay," replied Jess simply, nodding.

"Okay…What?" asked Rory, wanting an explanation.

Jess answered coolly, "Okay, you should be?"

"What?" said Rory again.

"What are you so mad about?" asked Jess.

"I mad because of this total lack of response," said Rory agitated, voice rising out the whispers they had been previously speaking in.

"What did you want me to say?" Jess demanded, the loudness of his tone following her suite.

"I don't know, maybe 'It's okay,' or 'Your forgiven.'"

Jess tsked in a sarcastic unbelief.

"What was that for?" Rory demanded harshly.

"It's just funny that you're the one getting all offended in this situation."

Rory huffed, "You know what Jess, I thought you had changed, but you are still the jerk like you were when you came to Star's Hollow for the first time years ago."

"Well if I remember correctly, you liked me when I first came to Star's Hollow, and even if I haven't changed, you changed too much."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that the Rory I knew, the Rory I," Jess's voice faltered for a moment, "Fell in love with won't have abandoned her daughter."

"That's-," started Rory, voice faltering also, "That's not the point."  
"No, it's totally the point."

"So, what happened on the bridge…"

"It would do best of we both just forgot it."

"Yeah," said Rory, her tone edging on hysterical and with a sarcastic bit, "Let's just forget that potentially intimate moment between us. In fact, let's forget everything that ever happened between us-."

Jess cut her off, "Don't, Rory, don't. We had are time, its over."

"Maybe I don't want it to be over yet…"

Amber's brow wrinkled with curiosity as her father and Rory left the room together to some unknown destination. Amber was sitting on the couch with Luke on the opposite side and Lorelai, who she was next to, in between.

Lorelai leaned over to Luke, putting her hand up to the side of her mouth to whisper a secret in his ear in a not so whisper volume, "They either end up doing it or there is a double murder."

Luke gave his wife a look, "Rory wouldn't do that."

Lorelai nodded, "Yeah, she's not the murderous type."

"I was talking about the 'doing it' part."

"Okay, make-out, instead."

"What?" asked Amber confused, listening to the couple's conversation.

Lorelai glanced at Amber as though she had just released she was their, and then back at Luke and commented to him, "We probably should have not had this conversation in front of such young, virgin ears."

"Why would they make-out?" asked Amber, ignoring Lorelai previous comment.

"They had dated."

"They had?" asked Amber, her suspicions confirmed.

"Yeah, your father moved in with Luke here and Rory ended up becoming friends with and falling for Stars Hollow's resident bad boy. They got pretty serious towards the end."

"What happened?" Amber genuinely wondered.

"Jess left without warning or telling Rory and broke her heart…She never told me, but I think she might have…loved him. Sorry I'm rambling again."

"It's fine," said Amber, deep in thought. She had suspected her father and Rory had dated, but love, that was a whole new development.

"Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom," said Amber, dismissing herself from the room.

After Amber left, Luke leaned over to Lorelai and said, "This might just be the beer speaking, but, Amber's eyes, I've only seen one person with eyes that blue-,"

"Rory," Lorelai intervened.

"You noticed it too?"

"Yeah, I noticed it too…," answered Lorelai, wheels beginning to turn in her head as things fell into place.

Amber did go to the bathroom and wash her hands, afterward going into the kitchen to get a new drink. As she finished filling up a cup with water from the sink she head something. It sounded like voices. Amber looked around, confused. They weren't coming from the living room…they were coming from outside

Amber tiptoed over to the kitchen door, her eavesdropping instincts naturally taking over. She pulled back one of the curtain an inch with her finger tip and looked through the gap out the window where she saw her father and Rory in a furious discussion with each other. Leaning down next to the crack in between the door frame and the door, Amber could make out what they said.

"…it's over," Amber heard her father conclude.

Rory sucked in a shaky breath before saying back, "Maybe I don't want it to be over yet."

"Rory," said Jess in a warning tone, shaking his head.

"Maybe I want to take another chance," exclaimed Rory, ignoring Jess's admonishing tone.

"We had are chance, Rory," interrupted Jess, "We had are chance_s_. There are no more chances for us."

"How can you say that?" Amber heard Rory yell almost frantically, "How can you say that when I still love you."

Silence. It was the first silence Amber had heard in this argument. It was cold, chilling. She was shocked, and though she could not see his face, she amused her father was shocked too.

Rory was surprised she had blurted that out. She hadn't meant too. She hadn't thought about it. She hadn't even been sure, but now that she said it, to Jess's face, she didn't regret it, because it was true. But the silence from Jess wasn't very reassuring.

His expression was would have been unreadable to someone who didn't know him well like Rory. There was shock detectable in the straight line of his mouth. The remnants of anger were in the tense lines of his face, while confusion and thought were in the wrinkles on his brow. There was something else in his eyes though, something that Rory neither cared nor had the time to identify.

"Fine," said Rory, mad and hurt, after he continued to say nothing, "I guess I'm the only one then." She turned on her heal and took a step towards the door. Before she could take another Jess spoke up.

"No," he said sharply. Rory turned to look at him, "You are not the only one. I'm not letting you be the martyr again Rory. You go back in that house all upset, everyone is going to assume it is my fault. And they'd be wrong. Guess who's the victim this time? Me! You approached me! You started this! This is your fault this time."

Rory glared at him and said in a quieter voice, "What did you mean by, 'you're not the only one?'"

"Huh?"

"Right when I was leaving you said, 'no, you're not the only one.'"

Jess sighed irritated, "I meant that…I meant that no, you're not the only one to still have feelings."

"Then why is the thought of you and me so crazy?"

"You can't seriously be that naïve, Ror. You and me is so crazy because our last chance ended when you left almost nine years ago, and you didn't leave just me-."

Amber pulled back sharply from the door not needing to hear the rest of the conversation. She knew who her mother was now.


	12. Chapter 11

**Aki-**Hey, just a warning, this chapter is shorter, shabbier, and less interesting than usual, thier is one good part in the middle, but the ending kind of just dies. I didn't have the heart to fix, your lucky your getting this at all, because my pop pop just died Friday morning, the viewing was all day Saterday and the funeral was today, so this is the best I can give right now. Though this is really of littel consequence compared to that peice of news, no one reviewed my little Lorelei-Rory one-shot poem, so check that out.

**Chapter 11**

Jess and Amber left Star's Hollow for New York early the next afternoon after saying their farewells to Luke, Liz, and Lorelai. The father and daughter weren't supposed to leave until the next day, but Jess wanted to leave as early as he could after the incident of the night before. Amber didn't protest, in fact she had been strangely quiet since they left the Christmas dinner the night before, though Jess had just assumed it was tiredness.

The radio was playing dully in the background of the silent, long car ride. Amber had long ago fallen asleep, her head leaning against the cold window, her eyes closed. Amber always fell asleep on car rides, she had since she was little which made Jess fear the time she would learn to drive.

Amber wasn't really asleep. She usually fell asleep in the car, but not this time, sleep evaded her. She pretended to be though, that way her father wouldn't try to talk to her. She needed to think right then about…everything. What she heard last night. She had already gone over it a million times in her head. There was no mistake, it all made sense now.

But she didn't know how she felt, it was such a shock. Was she mad at her father for not telling her? Or was she mad at Rory for leaving? Both? It was crazy, her emotions were all mixed up. That's why she couldn't talk to her father…not yet.

Jess began flipping through stations on the radio as the one they had been listening to was filled with static as the dove out of range of it, the best he could find was some generic mix station, which, of course, the day after Christmas, was filled with Christmas music.  
After the weather report ended, "All I want for Christmas is You" started playing. Jess listened to the first few stanzas before reaching over to the dial and turning the radio off sharply. She sighed in the silence and after a moment turned it back on

Rory lay in bed late into the day. She was bundled up in coves, wide-eyed, thinking. She went over her and Jess's conversation, more like argument, from the night before. She couldn't believe all the stupid things she had said. She couldn't believe all the stupid things she had done, not just last night, but in her life. She couldn't believe…how beautiful her daughter was. She had seen her in pictures, but that didn't do her justice.

Rory didn't know how much longer she could keep up this façade. How many more holidays would they, Jess and Amber, come here. How many more times would she have to hide the hurt inside. How many more times could she lie…to Lorelai, to Luke, the town…her daughter. Rory sniffled, it was getting cold, and she was about to cry.

A knock on her bedroom door tore her from her thoughts, "Rory? Are you okay?" asked Lorelai.

"I'm fine," called Rory from inside, cursing the quiver in her voice, "Just tired from last night."

"Can I get you anything?"

"No, I'm fine," Rory answered in a lie. She heard her mother walk away, and then rolled over in bed, turning on the radio. She sniffled again as she heard her what the song was. Never had a song seemed to be playing what she was feeling as accurately before. She had heard it a million times before but, "All I Want for Christmas is You," never seemed so true.

They had just finished bringing all their bags in from the car. Both father and daughter being procrastinators left them lying on the living room floor. Amber curled up on the couch, sitting silently, not wanting to do what she was about to do.

Jess sorted through the mail that had accumulated at his apartment in the days of their absence.

"Dad?" asked Amber softly.

"Hmm?" he answered, throwing some junk mail in the crash.

"When- When were you going to tell me?"

"Tell you what?" asked Jess distractedly.

Amber took a shaky breath, "When were you going tell me that Rory was my mother?"

Jess looked up at her shocked, "What- How did you-!"

"I figured it out. Eavesdropping in a nasty habit you know…"

"So you heard…?" he didn't need to finish his thought. She heard him and Rory fighting Christmas night. Talk about a Christmas present.

Amber nodded, sniffling, some silent tears running down her face.

"Are you okay?" asked Jess, his own voice cracking as he asked.

Amber thought about. Was she okay? She bit the inside over her bottom lip and shook her head no. Jess sat down next to her placing an arm around her shoulders.

Amber began to sob as she spoke, "I always wanted to know who my mom was. I thought it would give me…I don't closure, maybe. But it didn't…it made it worse." Amber paused, wiping her tears away with the cuff of her sleeve. Jess pulled his daughter closer.

"But now that I met my mother, its horrible because she is nice, and pretty and smart and funny and it-it makes me wonder why I wasn't good enough for her-," Amber broke into full sobs as rounded off that sentence. Jess pulled his little girl into a tight embrace, rubbing her back as she weeped into his shoulder.

"Don't think that, Amber," whispered Jess into her ear, "'Cause it's not true. You're the best daughter in the world."

Amber didn't hear him, or, at least, didn't listen, "Why?" she whimpered, voice hitching, "Why? Why did she leave? Why wasn't I good enough for her to stay? Why doesn't she love me?"

"Oh, Amber," said Jess quietly kissing her on the top of her head, "It's okay, I'm here. I love you…"

Then they just sat their, no words being said between the too, Amber still crying into Jess' chest as he rocked her back and forth, rubbing her back to soothe her. He _hated_ seeing her like. He hated seeing his daughter, the thing he loved most in the world, so pained without him able to anything to stop it. It made him feel helpless. It made him feel like a bad dad. It made him feel…powerless.

Eventually Amber's sobs turned into hitching breath then silent cries, then it finally stopped. It was amazing how this little girl had changed him so much. From an irresponsible, unreliant, lying, hurting, running, unstable, selfish teenager to a dependable, reliant, loving, caring, established, rooted, selfless individual. The day she was born he had to sop living for himself because another person's life was in his hands. He remember how scared he was, how reluctant, how unsure. Now he wouldn't trade her for the world, and he'd trade the world for her to be happy.

Even after she stopped crying, they sat their on the couch together, television on, but neither actually watching. Amber's head was laid in Jess' lap as he gently stroked her hair. After what seemed like hours later Amber finally spoke.

"I wasn't asleep in the car you know," said Amber matter- of- factly, still staring at the TV.

"No?" questioned Jess, looking down at her.

Amber looked up into her father's eyes, "Nope, I was just pretending to be, I had to think."

"About what?"

"Whether or not I was mad at you…" Amber trailed off, staring back at the TV.

"Oh," it wasn't a question it was a statement.

"But I'm not. You were just trying to protect me, right?" asked Amber glancing up at her father for confirmation.

"Right," Jess smiled.

Hours later she had fell asleep. Her face was peaceful now, hopefully she would get some rest. Jess picked her up lightly in his arms and carried her to her room, laying her down on her bed.

He pulled Amber's covers over her and kissed her forehead.

"Night, Amber," he whispered.


	13. Chapter 12

**Aki-** Thank you all for your condolences and your reviews. The only worry I have now is that so many reviewers are commenting on how much they hate Rory at the moment. I don't hate her in the story. I find her as a character that made a big mistake that she needs to rectify. I think Amber is going to end up being more forgiving of Rory than some of you readers are.

**Chapter 12**

Jess twirled the envelope in his fingers anxiously. He didn't know why he was here. It was unnecessary, yet he knew he had to be, he had to say it, tell her, personally.

So he just stood their, leaning against the wall of the building, shrugging his shoulders against the cold 'til finally she cam out.

"Rory," he said, rushing up to her getting her attention.

"Jess?" she half greeted, half questioned. Honestly, Rory hadn't thought she would see Jess again anytime soon, let alone him finding her, by herself.

"She knows," said Jess bluntly.

"What?" asked Rory, utterly confused at this comment and Jess' sudden appearance.

"Amber knows," Jess clarified, "That you're her mother."

"What- how?"

"I didn't tell her," Jess interrupted, "She figured it out, she over heard us on Christmas.

"Oh my god," muttered Rory t herself, not believing it, not wanting to.

"Here," said Jess, not giving Rory time to compose herself, shoving the envelope he held to her.

She took it, "What's this?"

"It's from Amber, a letter I assume. I didn't read it; she made me promise not to.

"Oh," Rory mumbled, staring intently at the plain envelope in her hands.

"She doesn't know I'm here," continued Jess in an unprovoked explanation, "She's at a friend's. Amber asked me to address it and mail it, but I thought delivery in person was more appropriate." Jess paused as to let Rory ask why, but it did not come, because she was still entranced with the unopened prospect of the letter.

"Because I needed to tell you something," said Jess loudly, getting Rory to look up at him in the eye.

"What?" asked Rory.

"I needed to tell you that you better respect whatever it says in that note," said Jess harshly, "Because if Amber says that she wants nothing to do with you, you better not come barging into our life like you have some motherly right…you gave that up a long time ago."

And with that Jess turned on his heel and stalked off to his car, putting himself in a rage that was unnecessary.

"Jess," Rory called out to him as he left, finally getting her sense about her, wanting to question him, but he was to far off to hear, or maybe he just ignored her.

Rory looked back at the unblemished envelope. She wanted to read what was inside, but she was also scared too, to see what was in it. So instead of doing anything, Rory just stood their, internally battling: to open or not to open, that was the question. Of course she had to open it, that part was sure, but when and how. Part of her wanted to open it now, while another part wanted to delay it as long as possible. She compromised with herself. She would wait until she got home.

Lorelai noticed Rory's car in the driveway as she pulled up at home.

"Rory, you here?" called Lorelai as she entered the house, though her keys on the coffee table and taking off her coat. There was no answer, but Lorelai definitely heard something in Rory's room.

The door was open and inside Rory was on her bed, crying almost noiselessly into her arms.

"Ror, are you okay?"

No answer.

Lorelai yet dared to venture deeper, "Is it Jess?"

Silence then, "Yes…no."

"Which is it?"

"Yes, partially, No, not completely," Rory clarified, head still buried in her arms.

Lorelai took a breath deep and wondered if she should ask the next thing she was going to ask, if she could, "Is it…Amber?"

Rory at last looked up at her mother, old tears still wetting her face, "You know don't you?"

"Yes," answered Lorelai, no further explanation needed for either to understand.

Rory blinked, "How?"

Lorelai half shrugged, "Figured it out."

"Oh," said Rory, her voice becoming shaky, "So did she," Rory said, holding the note out to Lorelai, tears renewed.

Lorelai took it from her outstretched arm. It was notebook paper with fine creases in it from folding and tears stains that were most likely Rory's. It read:

_Rory-_

_I know you're my mother. Dad didn't fink you out or anything, I'm just not stupid, and have killer eavesdropping skills. Anyway, I'm not going to pretend that I'm not furious at you for leaving me and leaving Dad. It's inexcusable. I can't fathom one reason why someone, anyone, would do something like that, especially you, growing with a single parent who was only sixteen when she had you._

_Now that I have given you that guilt trip, I have to say that I will also not pretend that I don't want a mom. It has always been such a foreign concept to me. Most kids that have single parent, it's a mom and not a dad, with me it's the other way around. Just note that you didn't hurt just me when you left, you hurt Dad, you hurt yourself, and you hurt your family that you've been lying to. That's a lot of hurt to go around. You have a chance to fix that but you are going to have to deal with the consequences. _

_So I'm going to give you an ultimatum, you are either all in or your all out. That means I want you in my life, a lot, soon, or I never want to see you again. I know it seems harsh, but you're lucky you get even that chance. I just don't want a parent that pops in and out of my life, 'cause you know that hurts even more that not having one. _

_Sincerely, Amber Mariano_

"Wow," whispered Lorelai as she finished the letter.

"Yeah, I know," replied Rory, who had watched her mother read the letter the whole time.

"I say it again, wow," Lorelai was silent for a moment in thought, "So what are you going to do?"

"Huh?"

"What are you going to do? Are you going to go?"

"I- I haven't thought about it yet," stuttered Rory.

"Well you have to, you have an ultimatum," said Lorelai over ardently, pointing at the paper, "So…are you going?"

Rory's face was blank for a moment before she answered, "Yes."

"What?"

"Yes, I'm going," said Rory jumping off her bed, all sign of tears gone.

"When?" asked Lorelai earnestly, as Rory began scurrying around her room and grabbing stuff.

"Now," said Rory digging a duffel bag out of the closet, "Help me pack."

"Okay," agreed Lorelai, "What are we packing?"  
"Clothes," said Rory.

"What kind?"

"All kinds."

"Got it," said Lorelai, pulling out the desk drawers and selecting clothing items, "Hw long are you going for?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I'm being spontaneous here." The mother and daughter packed in a hurried silence for a while, it did not last long as the packing finished.

"Any books?" questioned Lorelai, as she finished up with the clothing.

"No time for books, Mom." Lorelai raised her eyebrows skeptically.

"Okay, maybe just two," Rory gave in and grabbed two books off the shelf seemingly randomly and stuff them in one of her bags. The two carried Rory's bags to her car and put them in the trunk.

Before Rory could get in and Lorelai embraced her suddenly and kissed her forehead, "Good luck," she whispered.

"Thanks mom," replied Rory.

Lorelai glanced up at the sky and grinned, "It's snowing."

"It is," Rory smiled.

Amber had just finished watching a movie at her friend Cassie's house. Cassie went to put the movie away. But Amber just sat their chin in her hand, lost in thought.

"Are you okay," asked Cassie worriedly.

"Oh, um, yeah, just a little tired."

"Whatever," said Cassie, knowing she was lying.

Amber got up from the floor and went over the curtain. Pulling it back, looked out the window.

"It's snowing," she commented.

"Yeah, its winter, it snows."

"No," Amber whispered to herself, "Good things happen when it snows."

* * *

Sorry it took so long to get up, but fanfciction was being evil yesterday and wouldn't upload my document. R/R. 


	14. Chapter 13

**Aki- **Wow, I was shocked at the amount of response I got from last chapter only one day after it was updated. A lot of reviewers did not hide their enthusiasm, which made me smile as I read them. Anyway the scene in this chapter between Lorelai and Luke was inspired from one reviewer's (lesslover123) questioning on why Lorelai wasn't mad at Rory in the last chapter for lying to her and stuff. The scene explains it and I think it turned out well too.

**Chapter 13**

Rory didn't second think herself the whole drive to New York. She knew she was doing the right thing. The hard thing, yes, the thing with consequences, yes, the painful thing, yes, but the right thing, the thing she should have done along time ago. Actually, Rory shouldn't have had to do this at all, she never should have left to start with.

That thought haunted her everyday. Her mistake. Not the one night stand part or the getting pregnant part, but the leaving part. She regretted it everyday…

Rory checked the address written on a scrape of paper again as she entered the correct area of New York City. She was nervous, she wouldn't deny it. She didn't know what she was going to say. She didn't know what she was going to do. She just knew that she was going...

**Line**

"Hey, Lorelai," greeted Luke as she entered the diner during supper time, "Rory coming?"

"Oh, no, Rory won't be joining me here for diner," answered Lorelai.

"Why? Is she sick?" pondered Luke worriedly.

"Not sick, she's just probably," Lorelai paused to check her watch, "in New York right about now."

"New York?" asked Luke, eyebrows raised in questioning.

"New York."

"Why is Rory in New York?"

"To see Jess and Amber," Lorelai answered as though it were the easiest thing in the world to guess.

"Why?"

"Because Amber's Rory's daughter."

Luke was taken back for a moment, but he did not question it. It was like he knew.

"Wow, that's…wow."

"Yeah I know," said Lorelai grimly, having felt the same as Luke was feeling now. The shock. The surprise. The speechlessness. The disbelief but the knowledge that it was true. It hit Lorelai after Rory had driven off.

"So how are you holding up?" asked Luke, knowing how confused his wife must be feeling.

Lorelai shrugged, "So-so… I just don't know if I should be angry."

Luke nodded in acknowledgement of her statement, understanding of her feelings, and reassurance to keep going.

"I should be. She has lied to me and kept this horrible secret from me as a mother and a best friend. I should be hating her for doing that right now, yet…" Lorelai trailed off.

"Yet…?" prodded Luke, pouring Lorelai some coffee.

"Yet it didn't matter then. When I was helping her pack and wishing her good luck as she left. It paled in comparison to what she had to do. I mean, she needed to go to New York, she had to, and it's a good thing." Lorelai sighed and sipped her coffee.

"I know."

"But," said Lorelai shaking her head, "This is gonna' sound incredibly selfish and crazy, when Rory comes back and she has good results up there… I won't be able to be mad at her. It's like I lose my chance."

"She'll apologize," insisted Luke, "Then you won't half to mad anymore, or at all."

"How do you know, though?"

"She will. We know Rory, she will."

"I don't know if I know her anymore," exclaimed Lorelai in almost hysterics, a little too loud, catching the attention of several customers. She quieted herself before continuing, "She abandoned her daughter. That is not the person I raised her to be."

"She made a mistake," Luke retorted calmly, "People make mistakes." At first Luke wasn't sure why he was defending Rory when Lorelai knew better than anyone Rory. He could barely believe Rory had a daughter, with Jess of all people, and then left her at birth. He was comforting Lorelai though. She needed it more than him, the reassurance that things would turn out okay.

"But not Rory," insisted an upset Lorelai.

Luke took his wife's soft hand and into his rough one and looked her in the eye, "Even Rory makes mistakes, give her a chance to fix this one."

Lorelai stared into her husband's eyes and her inner turmoil was put to rest. He was right and she knew it.

"She will," Lorelai agreed, before looking out the window at the falling snow and repeating, "She will."

**Line**

Rory stood in front of the apartment complex, one duffle bag thrown over her shoulder. She started at the panel that labeled the apartments and their inhabitants next to buttons. She was going to have to buzz in. Buzz into Jess so he could unlock the door.

Rory pushed the button next to his name and waited for a moment. Nothing. She pressed it again, this time holding it longer. Still nothing. She pressed in a few times in a row, agitated.

This time a voice came through in the intercom, "Geez, give me moment here." It was Jess pissed off at to the currently unknown person that was buzzing him.

"Who is this?" his angry tone asked.

Rory pressed the button next to the intercom and spoke into the speaker, "It's Rory."

Silence. Then, "Sorry, who?"

Rory rolled her eyes before repeating clearly, "It's Rory ."

"Sorry, I miss heard you again. Who?"

"Oh, come on! It's cold. Let me in Jess."

There was a moment of silence and then there was an annoying buzz and Rory pulled the door open and ran inside, exclaiming, "Yes!" under her breath as she did so.

**Line**

Jess was surprised when he heard Rory's voice through the intercom. He wasn't expecting her, at least not so soon. He didn't know what to say to her, what to do around her. He already had to see once today to give her the letter, and he had planned out what to say the whole time he drove down to Connecticut.

Before he had anytime to prepare there was a knock on the apartment door. There was nothing for him to do then just grin and bare it, except without the grinning part. He went over to the door, unlocked it and pulled it open to reveal none other than Rory.

"Hey," she said, somewhat timidly, the excitement of receiving entry lost in the anxiousness of the moment.

"Hey," he replied emotionlessly before bluntly asking, "What are you doing here?"

Rory was not unprepared for this question though, in fact having expected it, so she pulled the note Amber had written to her out of her pocket, which she did several times that day as she reread it, and handed it wordlessly to Jess.

Jess took it unquestioningly and read over it swiftly, his eyes flawlessly flicking across the page as he read his daughter's handwriting like it was his own.

"Well," he commented as he finished, handing the piece of paper back to Rory, "She's more forgiving then I would have been."

"Why thank you," replied Rory, bitterly sarcastic.

"Amber's not here," said Jess after the two stood in silence for a moment.

"What?"

"She's at a friend's," Jess explained.

"Well, when will she be back?"

"…Tomorrow."

"What!"  
"She's staying the night."

Rory huffed to herself, coming to New York to see Amber was just getting harder and harder, "I guess I'd better find hotel or something, it's getting dark."

Jess then said something he regretted the moment the words left his mouth, "You can stay here."

Rory was taken back slightly. "Really?" she asked hopefully.

This was Jess's moment. He could take it back. He could find some reason she couldn't. He could become violently and suddenly ill and remove her from his presence, but the miniscule, barely existent, innerly hidden gentleman took hold, "Really."

Roy bit the inside of her mouth before answering slowly, "Okay." She was obviously wary about it. So was Jess. Neither wanted to face the prospect of a night alone with each other. The situation was far too familiar.

"You can crash on the couch," insisted Jess, nodding towards the inside of the apartment.

"That's fine," said Rory.

Jess stepped back from the door and then said to Rory, "You'll have to start by coming in."

"Oh, yeah," stuttered Rory. She grown quite comfortable in Jess's doorway and had half a mind to ask whether she could just sleep there. She didn't know if she dared venture farther in. It meant entering a life she was supposed to be a part of from the beginning, but wasn't. It was like entering a stranger's house that you were supposed to live in. But she had to enter. For one, every second longer she stood in limbo at the doorway the more Jess stared at her like she was an idiot. Second, Rory knew that if she didn't enter and backed up instead, she would run back to Star's Hollow on foot.

Rory took a few tentative steps into the apartment living room. It was spacious and surprisingly well-kept and clean.

She jumped slightly when Jess slammed the door behind her. He brushed past her.

"Okay, grand tour. Couch," he said pointing to the off white couch against the wall. "My room, Amber's room," he said indicating to the tow closed doors against the far wall. "Bathroom," Jess said turning around to point to a door nearer to the apartment door. "And kitchen," finished Jess, signifying a room that was partially separated from the living room by part of a wall, "And that's it."

"That's it," nodded Rory.

"Well, that and…" Jess went over to a curtain and pulled it back to reveal a large sliding glass door that lead to a balcony and a great view of a lit up cityscape, "This. Welcome to New York Rory Gilmore."


	15. Chapter 14

**Aki- **A reviewer inquired as to how much longer this fic will be. I would estimate that it is half way if not a little more than half way done. Anyway, here is a quickly updated, yet long chapter for you to enjoy. There is Jess/Rory interaction (but not in that dirty way that some of you might think!), some long awaited Rory/Amber interaction, along with some Jess/Amber and Lorelai/Rory interaction as well.

**Chapter 14**

"You are that forgiving."

"What?" asked Jess at Rory spontaneous outburst. They were sitting at opposite ends of the apartment, picking at leftover Chinese food, not talking, not making eye contact.

"Earlier," Rory clarified, "When you read Amber's note you said that you weren't that forgiving, but I've been thinking about it, and yes you are, …or you were."

"How'd you figure?"

"You went after your father who left you at birth when you were eighteen. That sounds pretty forgiving too me."

Jess shrugged it off, still staring at his food, "I was desperate. Everything was going wrong. I just needed to get away."

"Is that the only reason?" asked Rory, staring intently at Jess though he refused to look up at her.

"Yeah, it was," answered Jess after a silence.

"Oh," said Rory, he tone disappointed, looking down away from Jess.

Jess looked up at Rory after he was sure her gaze was no longer on him. She looked dejected and he knew why. She was hoping that if all people, Jess could forgive the father that abandoned him at birth, maybe, someday, Amber could forgive her.

"I guess we should go to bed," said Jess after another long moment of silence.

"Yeah," agreed Rory, setting her half eaten carton down on the coffee table. Neither had that much of an appetite.

Rory began rifling through her bag as Jess cleaned up the meal in the kitchen. That was when he heard her swear.

"Shit!"

Jess leaned past the kitchen wall to see what was the matter, "You okay?"

"I don't have any pajamas. Thanks for the thorough packing job, Mom!"

"That's your big emergency?" asked Jess skeptically.

"I have enough clothes to hike to Antarctica, but not any to sleep in," continued Rory ranting, ignoring Jess.

Jess was tempted to roll his eyes if he was one to do such things, but rather walked out of the kitchen across the living room, past Rory, and went straight into his bedroom and closed the door.

"Ass," Rory said to herself, staring at the shut door.

"Heard that," commented Jess as he came out of the room a few seconds later and tossed something to Rory, "Here."

Rory caught it, surprisingly, brow wrinkled with curiosity as she identified the object.

"I can't wear your clothes," said Rory suddenly when she did.

"Well rumor is you don't have pj's," said Jess sarcastically.

"I still can't wear your clothes," said Rory indignantly, wrinkling her nose.

"Wear them, don't wear, I don't care. Means nothing to me. Just don't say I didn't try to help." Jess walked back to his room, but paused in the doorway.

He turned around to Rory once again, "I didn't just go to see Jimmy in California because I was desperate. That was part of it, but after he showed up in the diner that one night, I had to know."

"Know what?"

"More," answered Jess simply, "Night Rory."

"Goodnight."

**The Next Morning…**

'Bang, bang, bang.' It was like a hammer, not a small hammer though, not even a regular hammer, but the world's biggest sledgehammer in the history of mankind.

'Bang, bang, bang.' Rory was pulled unmercifully from her sleep. It was way too early. She clasped her hands over her ears and whimpered, "No, no, no."

What was that noise though. No, it was not a sledgehammer nor gunshots, but rather someone knocking.

"The door!" Rory called out as she mustered the strength and will to do so.

"I'm busy here," replied Jess, shouting room somewhere. Rory did not yet have the consciousness to figure out where from.

"But there's someone at the door," Rory whined back.

"Then you get it."

"But it's not my house!"

"I'm busy!"

Rory finally mustered the strength to get off the couch in determination to discover what Jess could possibly so busy at that he could not answer the annoying person annoyingly knocking on the annoying door at too annoying early in the annoying morning.

She discovered him in the open bathroom, in the midst of shaving, half of his face covered in shaving cream, the other half not. Rory couldn't help but smile at it.

'Bang, bang, bang.' Rory flinched at the unanticipated noise, "Are you going to get that?" she asked coldly.

Jess didn't turn around to answer or even look at her, but rather saw her bust reflection in the mirror.

"Well, I'm kind of incapacitated at the moment and as your up…" Rory scowled, Jess smirked.

"Fine," said Rory in a not so fine way and went to the front apartment door and opened it just a little too late after she remembered she was wearing just Jess's t-shirt and her undergarments.

Outside was a slightly elderly woman dressed in a long dark skirt, a blouse, with sweater over it.

"Sorry," said the woman a little bashfully at the sight of Rory dressed such, "I didn't mean to interrupt anything," Rory reddened slightly, "But is Jess available."

"Uhmm, yeah…," said Rory before calling into the apartment, almost flinching at her own voice, "Jess, it's for you."

"Hi, Mrs. Johnson," greeted Jess awkwardly when he came to the open doorway.

The women blushed slightly at the sight of him. Jess glanced at Rory's apparel and then down at his own, just a t-shirt and boxers, and quickly stuttered out,

"It's not what it looks like."

"I'm not judging anyone," said the women, "I just wanted to wish you and Amber, who I assume is not here, happy holidays because you've been out of town."

"I'll pass it on to Amber," said Jess perfunctorily.

"Well, I have to get going. Have errands to run."

"Mrs. Johnson, please don't take this," Jess made a hand motion between him and Rory, "The wrong way."

"Jess," said the woman, pulling Jess away from Rory with a firm hand on his shoulder, whispered to him, "For years now I've watched you raise that girl of yours by yourself and you've done a fine job. You deserve to have a nice woman by your side. Ta." And with that Mr. Johnson left to go to the supermarket. Jess watched her back as she walked away mouth slightly agape, that had not gone too well.

Jess shut the door and turned around to find Rory leaning against the apartment wall, beet red.

Jess put his face in a hand and shook his head before looking up at her, "Well-"

He was cut off by Rory, who was glaring at him, "That's what you get for asking me to open your door!" And she turned on heal and stormed off in the opposite direction.

"That's what you get for wearing only a t-shirt!" Jess yelled after her.

**A few hours later…**

Amber pulled out the key for the apartment complex's main door and unlocked the door, waving to her friend's mother's car to assure them she was safely going inside.

She was just about to close the door behind her when she saw her neighbor, Mrs. Johnson, walking up from the parking lot with her arms full of grocery bags.

"Need a hand with anything?" she called out to her.

"Just the door," the woman replied as Amber held open for her to enter, "Thank you, dear."

"No problem," smiled Amber.

They walked together to the elevator, "Up, I assume," questioned the older lady as she pressed the button for the designated floor."

"That's were I live," commented Amber, in quick wit, but neither in a sarcastic nor condescending way.

Mrs. Johnson wondered something out loud to herself, catching Amber's attention after a moment of silence.

"Excuse me?" asked Amber, the comment confusing her.

"Oh, never mind," fumbled the old lady.

"You said something like, 'I wonder if she left,'" pondered Amber, eyebrow raised.

"It- it's nothing," said Mrs. Johnson, fidgeting uncomfortably.

"Are you – hiding something from me, Mrs. Johnson?"

"I swore I wouldn't tell, but I guess you have the right to know," the woman rationalized to herself.

"Continue," prodded Amber.

"Well, see, this morning I discovered your father had a- a lady friend over."

"A lady friend," questioned Amber skeptically, knowing her father too well to know that he wasn't the _lady friend _having type, especially secretly.

"Yes," Mrs. Johnson defended, "I saw her with my own two eyes. She had a little longer than shoulder length straight, brown hair and really blue eyes…"

Amber stopped listening after that. She knew who was their, at her and her dad's apartment. But it couldn't be, well, actually yes, it could.

The doors of the elevator were barely open before she darted through them and dashed to her apartment door. She was moving so fast she didn't even remember unlocking it. The next thing she knew the door was open, she was in her home.

Rory, now fully dressed, stood suddenly from sitting on the couch as Amber entered the room. Rory had been waiting for Amber's arrival home for awhile now, wondering how long it would take for their first _real_ encounter as mother and daughter to come, but now that out was here, it seemed to come too soon.

"Hey," said Amber slightly breathless and still a little shocked. No, correction, a lot shocked.

"Hey," replied Rory. The tension in that room was so thick you could have cut it with a knife.

"I- I got your letter," said Rory, trying to spark a conversation.

"Oh," acknowledged Amber, almost emotionlessly. Not coldly or meanly, but empty, shy, guarded.

"I guess you should shut the door," Rory commented, feeling stupid that that was the only thing that she could think to say at a time like this.

"Yeah," agreed Amber as she turned to shut and lock the apartment door she previously left open in the rush of the moment. She came back into the main part of the living room. "Sit," Amber offered, gesturing with a hand to the couch.

Rory nodded in response and sat down where she had been previously. Amber sat down on the opposite side. It was one of those couches with three cushions. Rory was sitting at one side while Amber sat at the other, a large gap between them. Awkward. Awkward. Awkward.

Honestly, Amber wasn't expecting this, at least not so soon. There was even a piece of Amber, deep down inside, a pessimistic, the glass is half empty piece of her that thought Rory wouldn't ever even show. But it shouldn't have happened like this. Amber should have been here when Rory arrived, making Rory feel awkward in the apartment, but it was switched and now Amber wasn't even comfortable in her own home.

Rory didn't know what to say as she sat on the couch drumming her fingers on her denim covered knees. But she knew that Amber must be having it a thousands times harder with coming up with something to say. It was Rory's responsibility to say something first.

"Amber, I-"

"Is dad here?" Amber cut Rory off swiftly.

"Um, yeah," stuttered Rory, taken back somewhat, "In his room."

"I should tell him I'm home." And with that Amber was out of the room and into Jess' before you could say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

"Am, are you okay?" asked Jess, looking up from his desk as his daughter slammed the door.

"Rory's out there," stated Amber, ignoring her father's question.

"I know," said Jess.

"My mom's out there," said Amber, her voice shaking the slightest bit.

"I know," repeated Jess.

Amber closed her eyes and rested her chin on her chest in thought, before sighing slowly and saying, "I can't do this."

"What?"

"I can't do this. Her and me. I just…" Amber shook her head.

"Why?" asked Jess gently, "Why can't you do this?"

Amber looked at the ceiling, holding back tears. "I don't know what to say. I don't know what to do. God, I don't know how to feel even," Amber ranted, a little hysterical, "Should I be mad. Should I be happy? Should I be sad? Should I talk? Should I listen? What do I do!"

Amber sat down on her father's bed cross-legged. After a moment Jess kneel in front of her to get eye level and asked,

"So what are you going to do?"

"I was thinking of just staying in here."  
Jess raised a quizzical eyebrow, "So every time the world throws you anything you don't like you are going to hide in your daddy's bedroom."

Amber pouted at him and answered sincerely, "Works for me."

"Wouldn't you like to hide in your own room better."

"But going to my room means going through the living room."

"And you can't because… it was destroyed by a volcano?" pondered Jess.

"Rory's in there!" answered Amber indignantly.

"Right," muttered Jess under his breath standing up. "Give me a second," he said to Amber, exiting the room.

Rory stood when he entered, "Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's just scared of you."

"Oh," pause, "Did you tell her I didn't bight?"

"I tried to convince her," answered Jess without missing a beat, "But you just look so menacing."

Rory smiled inwardly. It was strangely nice it be making quips with Jess again.

"Anyway, can you make a conveniently placed trip to the bathroom so Amber can sneak into her room?"

"You know what? I'll just grab a jacket, a book, and my cell phone and go out on the balcony. I need to make a call anyway."

Rory swiftly grabbed her jacket off the rack were it hung by the door, her purse, which had her cell phone, and then dug into her bag to find the books she had packed the day previous. She hadn't looked at them then, but when she saw the titles now she smiled, _Oliver Twist_ and _Howl_. Fate had a funny way of working sometimes.

Rory pulled her cell phone out of her purse when he successful closed the balcony's sliding glass door. She dialed a number so familiar to her that she didn't even need think about it as she dialed.

"Hey, Ror," Lorelai answered on the first ring, giving Rory the temptation to believe that Lorelai had been anticipating this call for a while now.

"Hey Mom," greeted Rory.

The was undistinguishable voice on the other side of the line before Lorelai whined, "Luke, it's Rory."

"What was that?" Rory asked.

But all Lorelai answered with a star-struck sounding, "Wow!"

"Wow what?" questioned Rory, scrunching her brow.

"Luke's letting me talk on my cell phone in the diner," answered Lorelai, amazed.

"You've done it before," Rory pointed out.

"Yes, but he has never condoned it before."

"Good point."

The conversation lagged.

"So…?" pondered Lorelai aloud.

"So," retorted Rory grimly.

"How's it going up there?"

"Bad."

"Sorry. How bad?"

"Well first Amber's wasn't even here when I arrived yesterday," Rory began to rant, pacing up and down the balcony,"She was over a friend's house. So she didn't get here until about twenty minutes go. And when she arrived we had like a three word conversation that consisted of, 'Hey. Hey. Close the door. Sit down. Where's dad'!"

"Okay, you are confusing Mommy here a little."

"Then after Amber runs off Jess comes and tells me she is afraid of me even though I don't bight-."  
"Confusing Mommy a lot."

Rory sighed roughly as she ran her fingers through her hair, "This is so hard."

"It's not meant to me easy, Rory."

"I know. It's just that…should I try to explain my actions to her, but- but I don't want to make excuses, you know. Should I talk about other stuff. I don't to say. I don't know what to tell her!"

Their was a pause on the other side of the line before Lorelai voice came though with the only advice she could give,

"Tell her the truth."

And it was the best advice anyone could've given…


	16. Chapter 15

**Aki- **I'm back! This is not my best chapter, but I'm updating. Thanks for the reviews.

**Chapter 15**

Amber yawned as she awoke the next morning. She walked out of her room, eyes blinking in tiredness, in a dark colored, baggy t-shirt and pajama bottoms. She scrunched her brow in confusion from the clatter coming from the kitchen and went to investigate.

Amber peaked her head around the doorway to see Rory, dressed in red sweater and black slacks with her hair up in a messy bun, seemingly nursing a wound, most likely a burn, under the kitchen sink. As she was jumping up and down on one foot while running her hand under cold water made it quite a comical scene and Amber couldn't help but giggle at it.

Rory turned around suddenly when she heard Amber laugh, "Hey."

"Having a problem?" asked Amber, unable to suppress a smile, finding it strangely easier to talk to Rory in a humorous situation like this than the tense one like yesterday.

"Well-no, uh- yes," answered Rory unfirmly.

"What happened?" Amber inquired entered the semi-disaster that was known as the kitchen.

"I woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep and thought, 'Hey, I'll make breakfast for everyone.' So I came in here and started the coffee, and then I discovered that you guys didn't have any pop-tarts, which is as far as my breakfast making abilities go."

"Coffee and pop-tarts?"

"Well I'm known to attempt the occasional chocolate milk when I'm feeling adventurous."

"I guess you were feeling extra adventurous today."

"Yeah," agreed Rory before motioning to the room, "And well, I thought, 'Scrambled eggs don't sound that hard' but guess what, they are," ended Rory exasperatedly.

"They're really not that hard," commented Amber.

"I have slim to none cooking skills. I inherited that from my mother, who probably inherited from her mother."

"Cooking skills aren't hereditary."

"Well, let's just pretend so I can blame it on someone else other then me… See, then I got distracted when the coffee started running over, for whatever reason I don't know-,"

"That machine has it quirks, the highest you should ever fill it is three quarters, otherwise it goes crazy-,"

"Yeah, well I didn't know that so while I was trying to stop the coffee from overrunning the house the eggs started to burn and in attempt to save the eggs I burnt my hand and then in attempt to save my hand I stubbed my toe and banged my knee into the cabinet…then here we are."

Amber eyed the messy kitchen again, taking in the disaster as though assessing it, "We can fix this."

"We can?" pondered Rory skeptically. Half because her meager attempt at breakfast seemed beyond fixing and half because Amber said 'we'. They were going to do something together. Sure it was just making breakfast, but it was still something. At least Amber was talking to her now, sure it was light and fluffly conversation that completely evaded the deep topics that they would have to talk about sometime, but it was still good.

"Nothing's beyond repair," Amber replied confidently, "The coffee is still good, can you start cleaning up that spill. I'll start some new eggs…" It was simple but it was something.

Not long later the two were enjoying scrambled eggs with melted cheddar cheese (AN- Yum!), English muffins, coffee, and orange juice. But now that the topic of how to actually cook scrambled eggs was done they were left in an uneasy silence as they ate. As they finished it was inevitable that one of them would have to speak.

Amber wiped her lips with a napkin. She bit the inside of her mouth, finding the courage to bring up a question on her mind.

"Rory?"

"Yes."

"How did you…meet my dad?"

Rory could have sighed in relief. It wasn't the tough question yet. The question she wasn't sure had an answer to. On route to that question? Probably yes. But still not it.

Rory smiled in nostalgic thought, "We were both about seventeen, I think. Liz had sent him to Star's Hollow to stay with Luke…"

**Later…**

Jess yawned widely as he awoke, the sunlight finding its way through the crack in his curtains. He sat up on the side of his bed and stretched before getting tiredly to his feet. He grabbed some clothes from his dresser and made his way out of his bedroom.

As he shut his door behind him he heard voices coming from the kitchen. He shuffled over to it and peered around the doorframe to see Amber and Rory giggling about something.

"Hey," he said, catching there attention, "What are you girls talking about."

Rory observed him from across the table smiling even more then she had been at the way his messy hair fell lazily into his half-lidded eyes. She had to admit that even when he was barely awake Jess still looked good.

"Just about the time you paid ninety dollars to go on a date with me."

"I don't remember that," said Jess, lying, scrunching up his brow with mock thought.

"Oh, don't try to talk yourself out of it now. It happened," replied Rory offended.

"I remember now," said Jess at a moment of 'thought', "The ninety dollar part was over shadowed in my memory by the near death experience."

"What?" asked a very confused Rory.

"I tried your cooking, remember?"

Rory glared at him playfully. Amber snickered to herself, seeing the catastrophe of Rory's breakfast attempt earlier this morning made the near death incident comment from her cooking all the more funny.

"I'm gonna' go get a shower," said Jess dismissing himself."

"Don't drown," said Rory in teasing vindictiveness, "'Cause that would be a shame."

"Someone's bitter," replied Jess with a smirk before leaving. Rory stuck a childish tongue out to the back of his head.

She knew everything was going way too easy that morning between the three of them. The simple conversation, the lighthearted reminiscing, and the humorous banter. All too easy. Maybe they all deserved it, the playful and uncomplicated respite from the stress and uneasiness of the day previous. Now the communications channels were open, what more could they want? Rory hoped that this would lead to plain connection would lead to deeper one with her daughter.

Amber had observed the way Jess and Rory teased each other playfully. It was a refreshing thought to the nine year old girl that they still didn't hate each other. That would have been so hard for her to face. Though she was still young she could she the connection between the two of them. She could tell that they had once been something. It was reassuring, Amber didn't know why though, it just was.

"So, when did you first like him?" asked Amber, bringing back the conversation the two girls were on before Jess interrupted.

"Well, I liked him as a friend from when I first met him, but I first like, liked him probably, definitely that time I had to tutor him and we got in a car accident."

"How are tutoring and car accidents connected?"

"Well… it goes like this…"

It was very reassuring…

**At Star's Hollow…**

Lorelai was sipping her coffee at the counter at Luke's when Babette joined her with a warm greeting.

"Morin', sugar."

"Good morning," smiled Lorelai in return.

"Hey, Luke, Can I get some pancakes over here?" ordered Babette, calling her order across the diner in her husky voice. She turned her attention back to the woman next to her, "Anyway, Lorelai, doll, have you heard the latest news?"

Lorelai opened her mouth to reply, but Babette continued without giving Lorelai a chance to answer, "Kirk, just this morning…"

Babette began to recap all the hottest and juiciest town gossip that Lorelai only half listened to, but Babette's agenda was not only to inform Lorelai, but to get some information for herself.

"Anyway doll, I haven't seen Rory in a while. She not back at work already is she. I thought he had 'til after New Year's off."

"Oh, no, not work," floundered Lorelai, tapping her fingers nervously on the countertop, trying to evade the question.

"Where is she?"

"She had to take care of something out of town." Lorelai intentionally looked at the clock on the diner wall, "Oh, sorry to break this conversation short, but I have to get to the Dragonfly." Maybe Lorelai could make a clean break after all.

"Of course, darling," said Babette in understanding but suspicious way.

Not long after Lorelai left, so did Babette, straight to talk to Patty.

"Find anything out?" pondered Miss Patty, leaning against her studio doors, having a smoke.

"Not a peep, only that Rory not gone on business. But Lorelai's always been one to keep secrets."

"So all we know," surmised Patty, "Is that Rory's absence is not work related. And that Jess left one day, and Rory's gone the next?"

"Coincidence?" questioned Babette.

Patty released light chuckle, "In this town, never."


	17. Chapter 16

**Aki- **All reviews make me happy, but Oranesherbet7, your review made me extra happy. So here is the next chapter. Finally the big Rory-Amber talk.

**Chapter 16**

"A sleep over?"

"Yes, well actually, more of a slumber party, because I'm already sleeping over."

Jess ran his fingers through his hair, "So what are you doing again?"

Rory sighed exasperatedly, "Me and Amber are going to have a girls' night in. Stay up late, watch TV, eat junk food, talk. It's perfect."

"And Amber's okay with this?" questioned Jess.

"It was her idea."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Really?"

Rory glared at him, "Do you not believe me?"

Jess just shrugged noncommittally.

Rory pushed him lightly towards the kitchen doorway, "Go away and ask her then. You're in my way anyway."

"In way of what, your snack organization?"

"Hey," cautioned Rory with her hand, "Snack organization is an essential, and I repeat, essential, part of the pre- party set up. In order to ensure a successful girls' night in one must find, assess, and organize the snacks. My mother has always gone for more of the hodgepodge method of serving snacks, everything served at the same time. I, though, have developed what I believe is a more successful method."

Jess raised an eyebrow at her dead seriousness in what he would consider a comical situation. Rory continued,

"The main flaw is my mother's process is that it leaves the party goers able to access to all snacks at anytime so one would eat their favorite snack first, thus making all other snacks disappointing. My system is based on the theory that you save the better snacks for last, then the anticipation will keeping everything tasting good.

"For example, here are pretzels, chips, and popcorn," said Rory indicating to the food lying on the kitchen counter, "Although all are tasty party treats, pretzels probably the least. If I served chips before pretzels, the pretzels wouldn't taste as good when they got their turn, so I have to serve in the order of pretzels, chips, than popcorn. But-,"

"There's a but?"

"Don't interrupt me. But chips and popcorn are both greasy, salty, starch snacks, too similar. The solution, serve something sweet, i.e. chocolate or marshmallows, to cleanse the pallet in-between."

Jess snorted in laughter. Rory glared again at him.

"I'm sorry, but you just said that all with a straight face."

"Don't mock the system."

"I'm not mocking the system. I'm mocking the system creator."

Rory crossed her arms, "You know what? I stand what I said earlier. You can leave."

"Okay…I leave you and your snacks alone," muttered Jess with a smirk before exiting.

He heard a frustrated sigh come from Amber's room and went to it.

"Anything wrong?" he asked.

Amber was glaring at her open closet, most of the contents of which were know strewn across the floor of the room.

"I know there is a sleeping bag in here somewhere!" yelled Amber perturbed.

"Oh, it's right there," said Jess, walking to the closet and pulling a tightly rolled up sleeping bag from a single high shelf that Amber could neither have easily seen or reached.

"Why was it up there?"

"'Cause you never use it."

"But what if it was an emergency? What if I needed it!"

"I'd get it for you."

Amber huffed, put a hand on her hip, and shook her head, "You just don't get, do you."

With that Amber took the sleeping bag out of her father's hands and marched out of her bedroom. Jess put his hand to his forehead and shook his head. He was stuck in his apartment with two crazy women.

**A few hours later…**

"Get everything you need, Jess, because once that clock hits seven, girl's night begins and you cannot disturb it," said Rory as the three of them, Jess, Rory, and Amber, the latter two prematurely in their pajamas, cleaned up the kitchen from their dinner of pizza.

"You're trapping me in my room?"

"Yes."

"What if I have to go to the bathroom."

"Go now."

"What if I have to go then."

"Hold it."

"But what if I can't?"

"Then climb out the window. You should be able to find a restaurant…or a tree."

Jess narrowed his eyes at her, "We're on the fourth floor."

"Well, you should of thought of that when you bought this apartment, shouldn't of you?"

Jess rolled his eyes at her, "If I have to go the bathroom so much that I would resort to climbing out the window, I would just sneak to the bathroom when you are asleep."

Rory looked over to Amber, who was loading the dishwasher, "How will we prevent this?"

"We'll set up a trip line," answered Amber seriously, shutting the dishwasher door. She smiled at their banter. The funny thing was that neither of them seemed to notice _it_. The spark between the two of them. Grown-ups can be so naive sometimes."Okay, I'm going," gave up Jess.

Rory waited until she heard Jess's bedroom door close before nodding to herself and proclaiming, "Victory."

**Even later…**

"Rory, can I ask you a question?" asked Amber. They had just finished watching a rather humorously cheesy TV movie, before which they had discussed Amber's life: her friends, her school, future plans, and such.

"Shoot."

"The night that you guys, uh, made me… did you love my dad?"

Rory sighed, "You might be too young to understand this, Amber, but their some people in your life that you are going to love even when you don't want to or you're not in a relationship anymore. Your father-," Rory paused, she cherished these words she said, knowing they were absolutely true. She continued, "Is one of those people to me."

"How can you love someone even when you don't want to?"

"You can't control love. It's like when you truly, honesty love someone they earned something from you, piece of your heart. And they will always have the little bit of your love and heart. So yeah, I did love Jess then," concluded Rory wistfully. Amber suppressed a smile. Their _it_ was again.

Rory shook her head to get her thoughts out of the clouds and bring herself back to the now, "Is that all?"

Amber looked down at her fidgeting hands in her lap, she did have one more question.

"Well, there's something else, the answer really doesn't matter though because I asked you to come and you did, so…"

"You're rambling," grinned Rory.

"I know," said Amber looking Rory in the eye, "I just need to know, why did you leave?"

The question needed no other explanation.

Rory sustained the eye contact between the two of them before answering, "I have thought about that same question a lot, especially lately, but before too, but I have miserably failed to find the answer to why I left, but I think I found something close.

"You'd have to understand were I was in my life at that time. I had given up on everything, my schooling, my career. I had gotten in trouble with the law, if you can believe that. My mom and me were in a big fight and we were not talking; I had moved in with my grandparents. And I had this party-boy boyfriend.

"Then Jess shows up with his book that he had written and it hit me. He had done something amazing with his life and me, after one phrase of criticism, had ruined everything I had going for me. He showed me that.

"The next night things went a little far, but after that day I went home. I made up with my mom. I went back to school, got a job, and started a new, strong, full steam ahead life. Everything was good again and then a little more than a month later I found out I was pregnant." Amber sat in silence, not daring to interrupt and too entranced in a story she had long waited to hear.

"I was so scared. So scared of disappointing my mom. So scared of her being mad at me or cutting me off, even though that is a ridiculous thought, but my mind was jumping to the worst case scenarios. So I hid my pregnancy and the truth from everyone except Jess."

"Oh," said Amber at the conclusion of her story. It was in a disappointed tone. Amber had always imagined her mother coming back and having some great and noble reason for leaving, like to go live in some obscure third world country to nurse sick children back to health or negotiate peace in the UN. It wasn't even a good, 'I know I wasn't good enough for you and your father could have given you a better life than I ever could of,' and that wouldn't have even worked for Rory.

Rory noticed her pain, so she took Amber's hands and hers and made the young girl look at her in the eyes again, "You know all those people who say they don't believe in regrets?"

"Yeah."

"Well, they're all idiots. Everyone has regrets and things they wish they could change. I don't ever regret having you. I regret not being there for you. You were, and are still, not a mistake. Unplanned, a surprise, yes, but not a mistake. The mistake that happened was me leaving you. Please know that I did not leave you because I didn't want you or I didn't love you. I left you because-"

Amber stopped her, "You don't need to finish. I know what I needed to know." With that Amber through her arms around Rory's neck and whispered, "I love you too…Mom."

Those were the first tears Rory had in a long time that were tears of joy.

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Hope that worked...R/R! 


	18. Chapter 17

**Aki-** I can feel the love. Thank you all tons for the many and great reviews of last chapter. I am so glad for the support. As you can tell, last chapter was not the end of the story. There are a few more chapters left plus an epilogue. Hope you enjoy. Review I it fits your fancy.

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**Chapter 17**

Jess woke the next morning groggy, tired, and having a more than a little need to go to the bathroom. He walked tiredly across the living room not seeing those who slept there nor the mess they had made.

Just as he reached for the doorknob of the bathroom door the door open seemingly all by itself and he bumped into Rory, dressed in fresh clothes, with damp hair, obviously just out of the shower.

"Sorry," said Jess, stepping back to let her pass.

"It's okay," Rory replied as they fumbled around each to her.

"Things go well last night?" questioned Jess

Rory grinned, "Things went great."

"Great."

They stood in silence for a moment before Rory commented, "I'm really ashamed of you."

"What?" asked Jess confused.

"You haven't taught Amber how to snack binge or party late. She's still sleeping it off."

"I'll have to rectify that then."

"You will."  
The conversation lacked.

"I need to go to the bathroom."

"Yeah, I should check on Amber, and then I need to make a call."

They both went their different ways, wanting to get out of the awkwardness, but it was no longer the awkwardness of past and never closured lovers seeing each other after a multitude of years apart, nor that of being parents haunted by mistakes… It was an awkwardness of a different kind, maybe even a romantic kind…

**Line**

It was a few rings before Lorelai picked up.

"Hello."

"Hey, Mom. Things are going amazing here with A-,"

"Don't say their names!" interrupted Lorelai urgently.

"Whose?" asked Rory confused, "J-,"

Lorelai interrupted again, "Don't say it! Don't say you-know-whose names. The people you are with right now."

"Why?"

"The people in this town are dieing for information, Rory," answered Lorelai melodramatically, "They know something's going on and they want to know what. They, meaning Babette, Miss Patty, Taylor, and by extension everyone else in Starts Hollow, have drawn a connection from your post-holiday disappearance with," Lorelai's voice dropped to a deadly whisper, "the J-word's."

"Jess?"  
"NO! You said it."

"What's the big deal with me saying their names?"

"I haven't told them anything. I fear they resorted to bugging my phone to get info."

"Wow, the good people of Stars Hollow have brought gossiping to a whole new level," Rory commented with a chuckle.

"This is not a laughing matter, Rory," deadpanned Lorelai

"It is slightly laughable."

"I think you said things were amazing up there."

"Yeah, me and," Rory paused, "The A-word finally hit it off yesterday. We got into some deep conversation later on. She doesn't hate me."

"Yea!"

"We're bonding."

"Yea!"

"The two of us still have a long way to go, but, I know we'll get their eventually."

"That's good, hon," Rory could almost hear the smile in her mother's tone.

There was a pause in the conversation. Rory took a deep breath. She had been apologizing a lot these last few days, but she was not done yet.

"Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for hiding this and lying to you all these years. I'm sorry that I didn't trust you would support me then. I'm sorry for leaving you in Stars Hollow where you have to cover up for me. I'm sorry for all these stupid mistakes I've made and…"

"Rory," interrupted Lorelai yet again.

"Hmm?"

"I know." And that was the perfect reply.

"I love you, Mom."

"You have no idea, kid."

**Later that day…**

"So what are we going to do for New Year's Eve tonight?" asked Jess as the three lounged about the living room.

"Well, we had pizza yesterday, so we need something else for diner," Rory said.

"Like Chinese," suggested Amber.

"Or Thai," added Jess.

"Or Indian," continued Rory.

"Great, are we going to burn the apartment building down afterwards to get rid of the stench," smirked Jess sarcastically.

Rory sneered back and patted him on the arm roughly, "Some things never change, do they?"

"Nope."

"So you hate Indian, and as you might remember, I'm not too found of Thai, so that leaves…"

"Chinese!" exclaimed Amber.

"I can do Chinese," agreed Jess.

Jess got up and started filling through a phone book, "Hey, Amber. What is that new Chinese place just a few blocks away called?"

"Fun Wok."

"Ah, okay. So, how about I do the ordering and then pick it up because I know what everybody likes here. And Amber, you can take Rory down to our cool little movie place a few blocks away."

"We should go now, Mom, before it gets dark. Just let me get my coat." With that Amber exited to her room leaving Rory and Jess alone.

"Mom?" Jess questioned, eyebrow raised, "Things did go well last night."

"Told you so," smiled Rory.

"Come on," said Amber as she reentered the room, practically pulling Rory out of the apartment. "And the Chinese food better be here when I get back," she added to her father.

He gave a mock salute before the door slammed behind the two.

**A little later…**

Jess had barely returned and set out the Chinese food, which he picked up because delivery would have taken way too long, when the two girls reentered.

"That is a cool movie place," stated Rory matter-of –factly when they had throwen off their coats.

"I told you."

"I mean it had everything. Old stuff, new stuff, the classics, the ones only my mother and I have seen. I could have stayed in there for hours."

"But," took over Amber, "After much deliberation and arm-twisting we have returned with three, yes three, New Years Eve night movies and their watching order."

"First," said Rory, pulling a movie out of a bag, "Is _The Outsiders_, based off a brilliant book. A lot of drama, a lot of deep meanings, a lot of themes, plus practically every famous young actor of the eighties and nineties."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah, Patrick Swayze, Matt Dillion, Ralph Macchio-"

"The Karate Kid?"

"Rob Lowe, Tom Cruise, Emilio Estevez and more."

"Second," announced Amber, "_Ten Things I Hate About You._"

"Ah, jeez."

"Come on Jess. Drama, Romance, Comedy, Heath Ledger, all in one neat package."

"Thirdly, _Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory._"

"The original," added Rory.

"Also based off a book," Jess added.

"Good point."

"We debated getting the one with Johnny Deep too so we could compare and contrast, but we thought that might be going a bit overboard," grinned Amber.

"Really," said Jess sarcastically.

**Close to Midnight…**

All three were stuffed tiredly on the couch as the last movie ended. Jess picked up the remote and flipped the television to a local station so they could see the countdown in Times Square.

"Crazy people," he muttered under his breath the hundreds of freaks whole started showing up as early as six, maybe even earlier, in the morning and stand out in the freezing cold all day, packed together with strangers just to enjoy the festivities when you could watch them in the comfort of your own home.

"Come on guys, only thirty seconds 'til the New Year," Jess roused the girls.

The two groaned but reluctantly got up, two late nights in a row not agreeing with them.

As the ten second mark hit they all began to count down in an excitement you can't help but get when one counts down.

"…five, four, three, two, one, happy New Year!"

Jubilation filled the air, in their apartment, the ones around and even on the TV screen.

Amber hugged her father, practically leaping into his arms. He swung her around once before setting her back down on the floor. Amber then gave Rory an exuberant hug. When they released the three stood there for a moment in silence listening the noise of other people celebrating outside.

"Well I'm pooped. Bed," said Amber, pointing over her shoulder with her thumb before heading to her room.

Rory shook her head, "That's one weird kid."

"What'chu expect? We, of all people, are her parents."

Rory just chuckled with a smile and looked up at Jess.

He didn't know why he did it, but just then took a step closer to Rory diminishing all definition or usage of the term personal space. They both stood in silence staring into each other's eyes.

Jess twirled a strand of her hair with his finger before leaning in and touching his lips to hers. It was a simple kiss, but one longer and deeper, though not to say more meaningful, than the one they shared on the bridge, which seemed to happen ages ago.

When Jess pulled back Rory looked into his eyes with questioning.

"New Year's kiss," he whispered before backing up, going into his room, and shutting the door behind him, leaving a very confused Rory out in the living room shocked.

Neither knew that Amber had watched them secretly through the crack in her unclosed door. All she could do was smile.


	19. Chapter 18

**Aki- Not a too exciting chapter, but it is what it is. **

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**Chapter 18 **

"You'll call?"

"Yes, every night, at seven-thirty."

"Sharp."

"And two weekends from now I'm off, and I'll come up here to visit. We can go shopping or something, whatever you want. Deal?"

"Deal," smiled Amber, giving Rory a big hug. It was a little after noon on New Year's Day and Rory had her car packed and was headed back to Star's Hollow because, unfortunately, she started work again the next day, January second.

"And you'll stay with us then, too, right?" asked Amber hopefully.

"If it's okay with your father." The two girls looked at Jess, who was standing a little off as to give the mother and daughter pair some privacy.

"Always," he said with a small grin at their pointed looks then approached.

"Have a safe trip," he told Rory. For a moment they just stood their, next to her car, in an awkward limbo between a handshake and a hug. To end it Rory put her hand out firmly and they shaked.

"See you in two weeks. Goodbye Jess. Bye Amber." And with that Rory got in her car, waved, and pulled out of the parking lot. Amber waited until Rory's car was out of sight in the traffic before returning to her apartment with her dad.

Rory had only driven a few blocks away before she wanted to turn around and go back. It was almost crazy. But Rory was having a harder time leaving New York, than she had coming to it.

**Later, back in Stars Hollow…**

It was just about five o'clock in the afternoon as Lorelai sat in Luke's Diner, sipping coffee at the counter. A small layer of snow covered the ground making the already picturesque town ready to be on the front of a post card. That was when the bell on the door rang.

"Mom!"

Lorelai turned on the stool and smiled at the familiar tone, "Rory!" Rory threw her arms around her mother's neck.

"I didn't know you were coming back today," smiled Lorelai once the two had detached.

"I called your cell phone like five minutes ago when I was coming into town. But you didn't pick up. Then I called the house and the inn, and you weren't their either and I considered calling here, Luke's, but I know how mad Luke gets when I do that…"

"And that stopped you?"

"But by that time I was on this street anyway, and I it was faster just to stop and look for you in person. Why did you not pick up your cell phone by the way?"

"Well," said Lorelai pointing over her shoulder with her thumb to a sign hanging on the wall behind the counter, "The sign says, 'No cell phones,' so to show my respect for the establishment I turned it off."

Rory raised her eyebrows skeptically, "Lose your charger again."

"And the battery went dead," cried Lorelai dramatically.

"Did you check under the seat in your car?"

Lorelai clapped her hands together, "I knew I kept you for something."

"Glad to be appreciated."

"Hey, do you want some coffee?"

"Of course."

"Hey, Lukey," called Lorelai in a loud voice to Luke who was in the kitchen, busy cooking food and had not seen Rory enter, "I need some coffee."

"No!"

"What?"

"You had three cups at the house this morning, one at the diner, and two in just this sitting, with God knows how many others in-between at the inn."

"But it's not for me," she whined back.

"Yeah right, Lorelai. I'm not falling for that one again," replied Luke before finally coming out of the kitchen, "Oh, Rory."

"Hi, Luke."

"So the coffee wasn't really for you," stated Luke to Lorelai.

"Told you, but I could do with a refill while your at it." Lorelai grinned wickedly. Luke glared before going to fill their orders.

Rory nudged her mother's side with her elbow to get her attention then nodded not so subtly at Luke and mouthed, "He know?"

Lorelai nodded and mouthed back, "He knows."

"That's good," replied Rory as Luke gave the two girls their coffee. It was good that there was one less important person in Rory's life that she didn't have to break the news to personally.

"Anyone else know?" asked Rory.

"Nope their have been no leaks. Very thing has been kept under raps, they are dieing for information out there."

"Well, they're going to get it."

"Hmm?"

"It is time I fess up. In need to be honest with everyone, including the town. It is the responsible thing to do."

"It is."

"So I'm going to tell the town in one fell swoop."

"How?"

"Miss Patty."

"Duh."

"Then I'm going to run over to Sookie and Jackson's and tell them personally before they hear from someone else."

"Better run fast."

"After that I have to-"

"Tell the grandparents."

Rory cringed a little at the thought, "Yes, the grandparents. I'm not looking up to that. I better make an appointment with them. I want to tell them in person."

"Though over the phone might be safer. Oh, by the way, Emily called for you when you were in New York. You were sick."

"Interesting," Rory took a big sip of her coffee to finish off, "I better get started."

"What's she doing?" asked Luke as he watched Rory walk across the street towards Miss Patty's studio through the large glass windows.

"Being Rory," answered Lorelai with a smile.

"Miss Patty?"

"Oh, Rory, dear, How are you?" asked the robust woman, standing on the steps of her studio with a long cigarette as dancers practiced inside, "We've been missing you the last few days."

Rory took a deep breath before saying anything. This was it. "Yeah, well, I've been in New York."

"Really?" asked Miss Patty, obviously interested.

"Yes. I went to see Jess and Amber. And no," said Rory in anticipation for the next question, "Me and Jess are not back together. Around ten years ago Jess and I had a one night stand and I got pregnant. I hid it from everybody, even my mom, which was a huge undertaking. Once the baby was born , I left her with Jess and had not communicated with her at all. But I went up there to rectify my mistakes, apologize, and start being honest. And this is part of it. I think it is better that you found out the true version from me, rather than false speculations."

Rory paused. Miss Patty didn't reply. She was in shock, this was the biggest scandal in Stars Hollow history, well this year…definitely this month.

"Well, I apologize from keeping this secret from you and the town. I gotta go…have fun."

Rory turned and left. One down, many, many more to go. Rory jumped in her car, which was parked outside Luke's Diner. She drove to Sookie and Jackson's house.

She knocked on the doorframe before entering the house, "Hey Sookie, Jackson. Can you sit down for a moment. I have something I want to tell you something…"

It might be hard, but it was getting easier.


	20. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

"Hey Lane. It's Rory. I know you are out touring right now but I have some stuff I have to talk to you about. Call me back at your earliest convenience. Bye."

Rory hung up her cell phone after leaving that message on Lane's voice mail. She noted the time on her watch before consulting the list she had written.

Mom. Check. Luke. Check. Stars Hollow via Miss Patty. Check. Sookie and Jackson. Check. Paris. Check. Lane was going to call her back. She was meeting Chris for lunch tomorrow. She was still missing someone though…or someones.

Rory took a deep breath, picked up the phone and dialed a number that she had long ago memorized.

"Hi, Grandma… Yes, it has been a while…I'm much better, thanks…Hey, can I drop by after work the day after next, there is something I need to talk to you and Grandpa about…Yes, everything's fine. It's good news, sorta…It's just not something I want to do over the phone… Okay, bye."

Rory sighed as she hung up the phone. Everything was set up and with a few minutes to spare. Rory had one more call to make that day, this time one she was looking forward to.

**In NYC…**

"School starts tomorrow, is your homework done?"

Amber sighed exasperatedly, "For the zillionth time, yes. You made me do it on the first day of break because we were going away for Christmas."

"Yeah, but I raised you and if you were me then I wouldn't have done my homework and lied to my parents about."

"One, it's a good thing you are not me because that is a mildly creepy thought. Two, I did do my homework on the first day of break. Three, I wouldn't lie to this extent about it. And four, please stop asking."

"Wow, someone is snippy today."

And I wonder what the reason could be," replied Amber, looking pointedly at her father. He pretended he didn't noticed and continued reading the newspaper while he sat on the couch.

Amber glanced up at the wall clock from her position on the floor and watched a few seconds tick by before going back to the words on the page of her book, hoping her father hadn't noticed. She had no such luck.

"You know the clock is not going to run away," Jess commented, turning the page of the newspaper.

"How do you know?" replied Amber lamely.

Pause.

"She's going to call."

"I know she is."

Another pause.

"Then why are you so worried that she isn't?"

"I'm not worried," rebutted Amber unconvincingly.

"Yes, you are. You been checking the clock since Rory left this morning. I've seen you and I've seen your face when you do it. You're anxious. Not good anxious like you can't wait to talk to her, bad anxious, because you are afraid you won't have the chance to."

"That's not…" Amber trailed off.

"Come here," said Jess, patting the seat next to him. Amber plopped on the couch on the couch next to him and crossed her arms. "So why are you afraid."

Amber blinked, "The last few days have been so good. I'm afraid that she- that when she goes back to her real life that she'll realize that she doesn't need me."

"Oh, Amber, I'm not going to spend anytime trying to convince you that is not the case. You are only going to be convinced when Rory calls, which she is."

"Who do you know?"

"I just do."

"But how?"

"Trust me. I'll prove it to you, at seven-thirty. Come on, I'll even clock-watch with you. Won't that be fun?"

"Not really."

Jess put a hand to his heart, "Oh, I'm hurt."

Amber smiled and rolled her eyes, "Whatever."

The two sat in silence for a while. The clock now read seven- twenty five.

"You're a great dad. You know that right?" said Amber quietly.

"Of course," replied Jess in mock cockiness and confidence. But honestly he didn't know that. He didn't have a father to compare himself to really. When he had gotten Amber he had no clue how to raise a child, let alone a little girl. He was convinced he wasn't genetically set up for it. It is funny how things had turned out. Jess was never a big religious type, but he was sure that his little girl was a blessing from God, because he didn't deserve her.

"It's seven-thirty two. Oh my gosh, she not calling!"

"Amber, give Rory a few minutes."

That's when the phone rang. Amber dived, almost comically, across the couch to reach the phone that sat on a table next to it.

"Hello?"

"Hey Amber, it's me."

"You're late."

"It's the time difference," Rory deadpanned.

"New York and Stars Hollow are in the same time zone," Amber replied coolly.

"Darn, you kids are too smart these days."

Amber just laughed and shook her head. That's when she caught her father's eye. He mouthed, 'I told you so,' and then went back to his paper.

The next week went like that. Rory called promptly at seven- thirty and the mother and daughter talked from as short as fifteen minutes to as long as several hours each night. Sometimes it was serious discussion, sometimes funny banter, sometimes just what they did that day. The two had a lot to catch up on, but it didn't stop either of them from trying.

Rory met her father as planned. He was upset, as upset as any father would be to hear that his daughter had been knocked up by the same boy who had broken her arm years prior in a car accident. And to have had his daughter lie about it for nine years and have left the child, but only as mad to try not to be a hypocrite.

The next day was the grandparents.

"Twenty bucks they blame me," said Lorelai, who had come along for emotional support, before they rang the bell outside the Gilmore Mansion. A few hours, a bit of yelling, a few tears, and some condensations later the Gilmore girls on the road to Stars Hollow and Rory owed her mother twenty dollars.

Amber looked forward to the phone calls everyday. It almost became like an addition for her. It was great to have this woman figure in her life. She found it special, like an all-purpose gal-pal. It was someone she could trust like a friend. It was great to have someone that she could talk about boys and crushes and other girl problems who was older and experienced and could give you good advice. It was awkward for Amber to talk her father about such things. It took a day or two for Amber to understand what relationship she was having with Rory, and that was when she realized that is what a mom is.

**About a week from New Years…**

"It's stupid that you're avoiding her," said Amber after having such a phone conversation with her mother. She had asked her father if he wanted to talk to Rory, he declined. She asked Rory the same thing and she also declined. Amber had offered to at least one of them, sometimes both, everyday during the special seven-thirty phone call but every time they refused.

"I'm not avoiding her," replied Jess a little too defensively.

"Oh please."

"I'm not avoiding Rory," he insisted.

"Really? Then why have you refused to talk to her everyday this week.?"

"I barely talked to her in nine years. A week is not a big deal."

"Sure," replied Amber, nodding her head before adding under her breath, "She's been avoiding you too."

"Why are you telling me this!"

"Because I find it pretty strange that you guys are avoiding each other when you love each other!" said Amber exasperatedly.

Jess paused, "What did you say?"

"Oh, come on! I'm not stupid. It's obvious."

"It is?" asked Jess with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah. The dreamy look Mom gets when she talks about you. And how bout before Christmas if I asked you if you loved my mother and you said, 'With all my heart.' Or on Christmas night when you two were arguing outside. I didn't just overhear that Rory was my mother. And that kiss on New Years, don't tell me that didn't mean anything. "

"You saw that?" asked Jess, slightly horrified.

"Um, yeah," answered Amber sarcastically.

"Wow," Jess said more to himself than Amber, running his fingers through his hair.

"So I go back to my original statement. I think it is stupid that you are avoiding her."

"Amber," said Jess pleadingly.

"You love her. You can't deny it can you?"

Jess said nothing.

"And I know she loves you."

"Amber, it's more complicated than that," Jess said calmly.

"No, it's not. You two love each other. There is nothing less complicated" said Amber almost hysterically.

"No, there is nothing more complicated than love. Rory and me, we have a past…and it is not so pretty, and then there is you-"

"So what," Amber reasoned, "I'm both of your guys' kid. That should make it easier."

"Amber," said Jess taking a step towards her, she stepped back, "Come on."

"Why? Why is this such a crazy idea. Crazier things have happened."

"Crazier than having a mom and a dad that are married?"

Amber gave him a harsh look.

"Sorry," he apologized, "I shouldn't be joking right now."

"No, you shouldn't," Amber answered before running into her room and slamming the door.

Jess sighed and ran his fingers through his hair again; it was a nervous habit he had picked up over the years.

He went over to his daughter's door and knocked on it, "Amber."

No reply.

Jess tried the doorknob. The door was locked.

"Amber, come on," begged Jess outside the door. This time his answer was music being turned on loudly.

Jess was at a loss for what to do, so he did the only thing he could think of, he picked up the phone.

"Hey, Rory. It's Jess."

"Hey," she replied, slightly confused.

"I know this is kind of random, but Amber's pissed at me."

"Jeez, Jess. The kid and I only got off the phone like ten minutes ago," Rory teased.

"Yeah, yeah. And now she has locked herself on her room and is giving me the silent treatment."

"You must have made her really mad."

"I didn't do anything."

"Come on!"

"Seriously. She got off the phone with you and then started saying that…" Jess trailed off.

"Saying what?"

"Saying that it was stupid that we are avoiding each other when we love each other or something…"

Silence.

"Rory, you still there?"

"Yes. It's just…I'm not gonna deny what I said on Christmas, I still have feelings for you."

"Rory," Jess shook his head, "We both know it's more complicated than that. With our history and Amber-"

"What does Amber have to do with this?"

"Say we do try something again. What if it doesn't work out. What if end up fighting and hating each other and Amber gets stuck in the middle of our bad relationship."

"Our relationship is not too hot right now either."

"True, but…"

"You don't have to explain it, Jess, I understand where you are coming from."

Then Rory chuckled.

"What's that for?" asked Jess.

"Just that that is one great kid over there, trying to get us back together."

"Yeah, she is something."

"We can't…but it would of," Rory stopped mid-sentence.

"It would of what?" pondered Jess curiously.

"I was saying that if we did get back together, or at least tried to…it would have been nice."

Jess blinked, "I guess it would of."

"About Amber, let her cool down tonight and don't force her to talk to you if she doesn't want to, but definitely get her in the morning if she is still mad and explain things to her like you did me."

"That sounds like a good idea."

"'Cause it is," Rory paused for a moment, "Okay, I guess I see you…bye."

"Wait!"

"Yeah?"

"Maybe," started Jess nervously, "We can have dinner sometime."

"Dinner?" questioned Rory.

"Yeah, maybe next weekend when you are coming up to the city Amber will let me borrow you for a few hours one night."

Rory bit her bottom lip and smiled on the other side of the line, "That be nice."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, so, I'll see you then."

"See you then." They both hung up their phones with smiles on their faces.

Jess turned around to see Amber standing in her doorway, hands on her hips, with a smug look on her face.

"Suckas," she muttered under her breath.

"Excuse me?" asked Jess.

"I knew that if my logical reasoning did not get you to call Rory, my 'breaking' into hysteria would."

Jess collapsed on the couch, shook his head and sighed, "You are one slick kid."

"I have good genes," Amber replied simply.

"You're right," started Jess jokingly, "That is one fine pair of pants you are wearing right there."

Amberjust rolled her eyes. Adults…

**The End**

**But wait, it isn't over yet. No, do not fear, there is an epilogue left and a possible sequel, I have ideas for it. Tell me your thoughts on that in the reviews. Their will be more info next chapter…**


	21. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

**Two and a half years later…**

Jess exited his bedroom after much nervous primping, having checked hair and clothes in front of the mirror hundreds of times.

Amber glanced up from where she was lounging on the couch in a knee length black skirt and a pink top reading a book to survey her father, who was wearing black slacks, sports jacket, and a white dress shirt.

"Aren't you gonna wear a tie?" she asked nonchalantly.

"Do I own a tie?" asked Jess.

"Point taken."

"Do I look okay?" questioned Jess anxiously.

Amber looked up at him and smirked, "Do you want an honest answer or a reassuring one."

He narrowed his eyes and growled under his breath, "Forget I asked," before sitting down on the couch next to Amber to pull on his shoes.

"I'm kidding, you look fine."

"Oh, don't try to make up with me now," Jess replied sarcastically, "Time?"

Amber glanced at the clock, "Six-thirtyish."

"We better getting going soon, our reservation is at seven."

"What about Mom?"

"She's meeting us at the restaurant."

"Romantic," said Amber sarcastically.

"Are you ready?"

"For a half an hour now, you?"

"Think so."

"Wallet?"

"Check."

"Keys?"

"Check."

"Ring?"

"Che-," Jess paused as he patted his jacket pocket and then reached in, there was nothing there, "Oh my god, wear's the ring. It's gone. I've already screwed –"

"Other pocket, slick," said Amber as she came back out of her room. Her father followed her advice and a great sense of relief came over him as his fingers brushed against a velvet box.

Jess left out a comforted sigh, "Check."

Amber crossed her arms "What would you do with out me?"

"I have no idea, kid."

When they arrived the restaurant thirty-five minutes later Rory was already their waiting for them. She stood up, when they entered. She looked beautiful in a brown knee length brown dress with a white crop sweater that covered her bare shoulders which her dark curls fell around.

"You're late," she said with a humorous smile.

"You know how New York traffic is," said Jess, giving his girlfriend a peck on the cheek.

"And how long Dad takes to do his hair," added Amber while giving her mother an affectionate hug.

"It makes sense now," Rory replied smartly.

"Okay, let's get seated and stop making fun of me," injected Jess, leading both of his girls up to the maitre de's podium with an arm each of their shoulders.

"Fat chance," whispered Amber with a wicked grin.

Jess ignored her, "Yes, reservation for three under Mariano."

Jess had been anxious throughout the whole meal. Rory might have noticed it, but she graciously did not mention it at all. But now dinner was over and desert was almost done and Jess knew he had to do it soon, but, if there were more appropriate time in his life to use an over-used expression this was it, it was easier said than done.

"Rory?" asked Jess, gaining her attention.

"Yes," she answered with a genuine smile that made his heart beat faster.

"You know that I love you." It wasn't a question.

"I love you too," replied Rory.

Jess grimaced slightly when Amber kicked his shin secretly, yet hardly under the table. She had told him he had better get on one knee to do this.

Jess pushed his chair away from the table to get out, giving Amber an irritated glance. He got down on one knee next to Rory's chair.

"Oh, my god," she whispered, putting her hands to her face in realization.

"Rory, you're amazing and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Jess paused. Fumbling, he pulled a small velvet box put of his pocket and opened it to reveal a simple, yet beautiful diamond ring. "Will you marry me?"

She nodded, tears welling up in her eyes, as she allowed him to take her shaky hand and slide the dainty ring onto her finger.

Jess stood and pulled Rory from her chair and into a tight embrace.

Amber leaned back in her chair and smiled. All she ever wanted as long as she could remember was a mother. Either her biological mother reappearing in her life or a woman who his dad loved who was willing to take the open position. Now she had both.

At that moment all she could think was…

Sometimes miracles do come true.


End file.
